Another department head neglected to file oath

In back-to-back resolutions, the Madison County Board of Supervisors will consider reappointing one department head after she failed to file an oath of office while considering its options to replace another who committed the same infraction.

During a special meeting last month, the board chose to vacate the position of director of Real Property Tax Services after its incumbent, Paul Smith, failed to submit his official oath of office 30 days after his appointment. Smith was named to the position in September.

County officials said that without an oath of office on file, the position is automatically vacated but declined to comment on Smith’s job performance.

Probation Director Joanne Miller, appointed last February, similarly failed to file her oath of office. The board will consider a resolution Tuesday to reappoint her to the position after meeting those requirements to avoid terminating her.

In the case of the Real Property Tax Services department, the board is considering an intermunicipal shared services arrangement that would appoint a director shared with another county. According to a resolution on Tuesday’s agenda, that arrangement has been successful elsewhere in the state and could save the county money. The Government Operations Committee, along with the county administrator, will be tasked with pursuing that proposal if the board gives the go-ahead.

In other business, as part of a tri- county effort, the county will jointly provide a new 211 service to residents. 211 is a “free, confidential, 24/7, multi-lingual information and referral services for health and human services,” the resolution says. Through United Way of the Valley and Greater Utica Area, residents in Madison, Oneida and Herkimer counties will be able to call 2-1-1, often in place of 911, for urgent “non-public-safety needs” like food and shelter.

The board will consider a $7,070 contract with Labella Associates to provide design services for the ren- ovation of the Wampsville Fire Department hall purchased by the county last year. The 5,200 square-foot building is intended to be remodeled for the use of the sheriff’s road patrol. Changes need to be made to make the building handicap accessible, provide proper ventilation and comply with state energy code.

The same company, Labella Associates, has also been working on and may be contracted further to draw up plans to make the courthouse handicap accessible. An additional $80,600 is being considered for engineering and design services. “Further structural investigation and testing, asbestos and hazardous material investigation and testing, conceptual design and conceptual estimation of costs to make the courthouse accessible” is still necessary, the resolution says.

An expansion of the county’s sewer could be in the works in Cazenovia. If the board approves, the county will hire Dunn & Sgromo Engineers to prepare a map and plan out the expansion, along with a financial report on the estimated costs of the project. The estimated cost of the improvements is not expected to exceed $200,000 and is slated to begin in the area of Route 20 and Carriage Lane in the village of Cazenovia and continue south and east of Route 20.

A public hearing on the project will be held March 10 at 2: 15 p.m. at the county office building.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, two public hearings will be held on the recertification of two agricultural districts (No. 3 and No. 4).

The board is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at the county office building.