[HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES]
[00:00:05]
I'M GONNA CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEETING NUMBER 12, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026. CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL? LEGISLATOR LORIGO? HERE.
ITEMS 1 THROUGH 1 THROUGH 3, 05, 6, 10, 14, 15 AND 16 ARE TABLED UNDER MY AUTHORITY AS CHAIR. ITEMS 4, 8, AND 9, AND 13 ARE RECEIVED AND FILED.
ITEMS 6, 11, AND 12 ARE ACTIONABLE. WE WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION ON ITEM 6 TODAY AT THE END AND AS WELL AS WITH A SPECIAL DISCUSSION WITH STEVE SLIVER AND THE PARKINSON BOXING. SO, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH ITEM 11, COMMUNICATION 16, E25, AUTHORIZATION TO CONTRACT WITH THERAPY RESOURCES.
SPECIAL SPEECH, LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY, PHYSICAL THERAPY, AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY. WE HAVE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER TERRANOVA HERE TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM. THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
COMMUNICATION 16E25 SEEKS AUTHORIZATION TO CONTRACT WITH THIS ORGANIZATION TO PROVIDE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES. WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY CONTRACTED WITH THEM. THEY'VE JUST UNDERGONE A NAME CHANGE.
ELIZABETH, I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION. I KNOW IN THE MEMO IT'S CITED THAT WE HAVE CHILDREN ON WAITING LISTS CURRENTLY.
HAVE WE SEEN AN INCREASE IN NEEDS FOR SOME OF THESE IEP STUDENTS? AND ARE WE SEEING A TREND THERE THAT'S INCREASING? NO, WE HAVEN'T SEEN AN INCREASE. WE JUST CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE TO GET ENOUGH ORGANIZATIONS TO SIGN ON. AND THAT'S REALLY BECAUSE OF THE NEW YORK STATE. REIMBURSEMENT IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE HIGH ENOUGH FOR PROVIDERS. SO, WE TRY TO KEEP THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE INVOLVED AND TRY TO GET NEW ONES ON BOARD.
SO, THE STATE ISN'T OFFERING ENOUGH FOR THESE SERVICES, IS THAT CORRECT? THIS IS A CONTINUAL ISSUE THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH NEW YORK STATE ON.
MOTION APPROVE, LEGISLATIVE VINAL. SECOND LEGISLATIVE BARGNESI. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
THANK YOU. WE HAVE ITEM 12, COMMUNICATION 16, E26, AUTHORIZATION TO CONTRACT FOR TRAUMA INFORMED CARE TRAINING.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER HOAK HERE TO SPEAK. THE FLOOR IS YOURS, SIR.
GOOD MORNING. THE RESOLUTION BEFORE THIS HONORABLE BODY IS TO CONTRACT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO TRAUMA INFORMED CARE INSTITUTE FOR TRAUMA INFORMED CARE TRAINING.
I WOULD SUBMIT THAT THIS IS MORE ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING TO SERVE OLDER ADULTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA LOSS, ABUSE, POVERTY, DISPLACEMENT, DISCRIMINATION, AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT LIFE EVENTS. THIS IS REALLY AN INVESTMENT IN THE PEOPLE WHO INTERACT WITH ERIE COUNTY'S OLDER ADULTS EVERY DAY AND ULTIMATELY INVESTMENT IN THE QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE.
OLDER ADULTS COME TO THE GOVERNMENT SYSTEM WITH A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCE. SOME HAVE EXPERIENCED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CHILDHOOD TRAUMA, MILITARY SERVICE, SERIOUS ILLNESS, BEREAVEMENT FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, HOMELESSNESS, DISCRIMINATION.
THIS TRAINING IS GOING TO HELP OUR EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS THE EMPLOYEES OF OUR CONTRACTED AGENCIES TO BETTER SERVE THESE FOLKS AND RECOGNIZE TRAUMA RESPONSE SO THAT THE INTERACTIONS THE, THAT THEY HAVE WITH OUR EMPLOYEES ARE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE.
ONE OF THE QUESTION COMMISSIONER HOAK. WHAT AGENCIES WOULD BE OR PARTS OF OUR COUNTY WOULD BE ABLE TO GO INTO THIS TRAINING? THIS WOULD BE OUR, FOR OUR CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. SO, WE HAVE COUNTY EMPLOYEES THAT ARE CASE MANAGERS AS WELL AS EMPLOYEES AT LT. COL. MATT URBAN PEOPLE INCORPORATED HARMONIA AND ONE MORE THAT I'M FORGETTING RIGHT NOW, ANOTHER ONE THAT'S DEALS WITH SENIORS.
SOUTH BUFFALO COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION.
SO, THIS YOU HAVE IN THE MEMO THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE FOR ABOUT 100 EMPLOYEES, IS THAT CORRECT? 100, YES.
AND THE CONTRACT IS FOR APPROXIMATELY A YEAR BECAUSE IT'S GOING FROM OCTOBER TO SEPTEMBER.
HOW MANY TRAININGS IS THIS GOING TO BE? REOCCURRING TRAINING. BECAUSE THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S $600 AN EMPLOYEE. THAT'S A BIG INVESTMENT. I UNDERSTAND LOOKING AT THE BID TABLE THAT THERE WERE MUCH HIGHER BIDS.
BUT IS THIS GOING TO BE LIKE REOCCURRING ONCE A MONTH OR IS THIS JUST A ONE TIME TRAINING FOR THESE HUNDRED EMPLOYEES? THIS IS,
[00:05:03]
THIS IS ONGOING TRAINING. IT'S FOR OUR FRONTLINE STAFF WHICH WILL RECEIVE MULTIPLE TRAININGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS WELL AS MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP.SO THESE 100 EMPLOYEES ROUGHLY WILL GET TRAINED MULTIPLE TIMES. IS THAT IN PERSON? YES.
QUESTION. WHICH MINUTES? SECOND LEGISLATOR TODARO. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
NOW WE WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION ON ITEM 6. ITEM 6151 URGING NEW YORK STATE TO PROTECT LIBRARY ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC LITERARY MATERIALS.
SO, WE HAVE SPEAKING ON HERE OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF THE BUCKLAND ERIE COUNTY LIBRARY. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
MS. CHRISTINE SHOWN HARD TO SPEAK. THANK YOU MUCH FOR BEING HERE. IT'S YOUR FIRST TIME? YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO PLEASE, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. I'M CHRISTINE SCHOENHART, CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY NATIVE. BUT BACK HERE IN BUFFALO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 25 YEARS OR SO, THE TOPIC OF EBOOK PRICING IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO LIBRARIES ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I WANT TO READ A BIT FROM A STATEMENT FROM THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, THE ASSOCIATION OF RURAL AND SMALL LIBRARIES AND A FEW OTHERS SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND A BIT ABOUT THE ISSUE. YOU KNOW, IN ERIE COUNTY WE HAVE LIBRARIES THAT ARE LARGE, SMALL, URBAN, SUBURBAN, RURAL, AND THE DEMAND FOR DIGITAL ACCESS TO MATERIALS IS OFF THE CHARTS. IT'S NEARLY DOUBLE WHAT PHYSICAL COLLECTIONS ARE. SO AS A LIBRARY THAT WANTS TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES THAT OUR PATRONS WANT MOST, WE ARE BUYING A LOT OF E RESOURCES. THOSE RESOURCES COST A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY. TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, WHEN AN AVERAGE RESIDENT BUYS AN EBOOK THEMSELVES FROM AUDIBLE OR SOME OTHER SOURCE, IT'S ABOUT $13, AND YOU OWN THAT EBOOK FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
WHEN A LIBRARY BUYS IT, IT'S ABOUT $55 TO $75, AND WE ONLY OWN THAT BOOK FOR A YEAR OR 26 CHECKOUTS, AND THEN WE HAVE TO BUY IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. AND THAT'S TAXPAYER DOLLARS BEING SPENT TO BASICALLY LEASE MATERIALS.
WE THINK THAT THAT'S INCREDIBLY UNFAIR. WE WOULD LOVE TO COME TO THE TABLE WITH THE BIG FIVE PUBLISHERS.
THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO BE EQUITABLE AND UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ALSO HAVE. THEY'RE IN BUSINESS TO MAKE MONEY. WE GET THAT AS WELL. BUT REALLY, WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING THAT KIND OF PRESSURE ON PUBLIC LIBRARIES, NOT ONLY IN ERIE COUNTY, BUT ACROSS THE STATE, IT'S REALLY AN UNTENABLE SITUATION FOR BUDGETS. AND KNOWING THAT THAT'S THE KIND OF CONTENT THAT OUR PATRONS ARE RESPONDING MOST TO, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PROVIDING THAT CONTENT.
SO THAT'S SORT OF THE BACKGROUND ON WHY WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN COMING TO SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION ON A FAIR PRICING MODEL.
HI, CHRISTINE. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. WELCOME.
TODAY IS A BIG DAY FOR BUFFALO, SO. BUT IT'S GREAT FOR YOU TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC, BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT OUR LIBRARIES ARE KEEPING UP AND WE HAVE ACCESS FOR OUR RESIDENTS WHO CANNOT ALWAYS GO TO A LIBRARY, WE ALSO SHOULD THINK ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE ON OUR BUDGETS. AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO ADVOCATE AS A BODY TO ENSURE THAT PRICING MAKES SENSE AND IS FAIR, WE SHOULD DO THAT. $55, $75 A YEAR COMPARED TO $13 IS HUGE DIFFERENCE. AND I THINK WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT MAKING SURE THESE FIVE BIG PUBLISHERS ARE COMING TO THE TABLE, WE HAVE LEGISLATION RIGHT NOW THAT THE GOVERNOR COULD SIGN. AND I'M HOPING THAT THIS BODY SEES HOW IMPORTANT THIS COULD BE, BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE WE GOING TO HELP WITH HAVING ACCESS TO THESE EBOOKS, BUT IT'LL ALSO HELP OUR BUDGET, AND I THINK THAT'S HUGE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND SPEAKING ON THIS TOPIC. I HOPE THAT WE CAN APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION AND PUSH IT FORWARD, AND I KNOW MY OFFICE WILL BE IN CONTACT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE FOR HER TO SIGN THIS BILL.
THAT'S IN FRONT OF HER. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. I'M AN AVID LIBBY USER. I WAS LISTENING TO A BOOK ON THE WAY HERE. IS IT THE SAME FOR AUDIOBOOKS? YES.
SO IT'S STILL 55 TO 65. NOW IF I. NOW CERTAINLY I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE, BUT IF I WERE TO HAVE A BOOK THAT I CHECKED OUT AND I DON'T GET TO LISTEN TO IT ON TIME, DOES THAT COUNT AS ONE OF THE 26? IT DOES AS LONG AS IT'S BEEN BORROWED.
WHAT ABOUT RENEWAL? SO, IF I GO IN AND I TAKE LONGER, IS A RENEWAL FOR THE CHECKOUT? THAT MAY DEPEND. SO, SOME PUBLISHERS WILL ALLOW A RENEWAL, OTHERS WILL MAKE US WILL COUNT IT AS A CIRCULATION AGAINST THE 26 OR 1 TO 2 YEAR CIRCULATION RULE.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT BUDGET RIGHT NOW FOR EBOOKS AND WE.
OUR CURRENT COLLECTION. I WOULD HAVE TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
OUR CURRENT TOTAL COLLECTION BUDGET IS JUST ABOUT 3 MILLION AND WE SPEND 50 TO 60% OF THAT ON EBOOKS, AUDIOBOOKS, BASED
[00:10:01]
ON THE DEMAND.INTERESTING. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
SO PERSONALLY, IF I GO INTO MY LIBBY APP AND THE QUEUE IS FOUR OR FIVE DEEP, I'M LOOKING AT IT.
I GO MATHEMATICALLY, BY THE TIME I CAN READ THIS BOOK, IT'S GONNA BE CHEAPER AT THE STORE.
SO, I CAN SEE WHERE YOUR VIEW ON THIS IS. I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF IT. SO, KEEP CHUGGING ALONG.
WHEN WE HAVE THOSE HOLD LISTS, WE'RE AT A 14 TO 1 RATIO RIGHT NOW. SO WHEN IT HITS 14 HOLDS, WE TRY TO BUY ANOTHER COPY.
MOST LIBRARIES TRY TO KEEP THAT AROUND 5.
WELL, THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION.
QUESTION, IS IT A DIFFERENT PRICE IF IT'S A BOOK STILL WITHIN COPYRIGHT OR NOT OR IS THERE A DIFFERENT SOURCE FOR BOOKS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE COPYRIGHT? I WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. I THINK IT'S MOST BOOKS I WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK. I'M NOT SURE THAT COPYRIGHT MAKES IT.
BECAUSE IF THERE ISN'T A COPYRIGHT ANYMORE, MAYBE THERE COULD BE SOME OTHER SERVICE THAT DOES JUST NON COPYRIGHT BOOKS.
RIGHT. AND I'M ACTUALLY NOT SURE HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE E CONTENT NOW.
SECOND, TODARO ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
I'M SORRY. I'M SO SORRY. I SAID AGREE.
I THINK THAT I RECENTLY JUST READ A STUDY THAT THE BIG FIVE PUBLISHERS HAD COMMISSIONED BY AN INDEPENDENT GROUP. IT'S ABOUT THEIR BOTTOM LINE. AND I SAY THAT WITH RESPECT TO KNOWING THAT THAT'S WHAT THEIR JOB IS THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO BUY THEIR CONTENT THAN HAVE IT USED BY.
WHEN 26 PEOPLE BORROW A BOOK, THAT'S 25 LOSSES OF REVENUE, RIGHT? CORRECT.
THAN WE HAD A MOTION APPROVEMENT TO THE VINYL. WE HAVE THE SECOND TODARO. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
AND NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER DISCUSSION. WE HAVE STAY AND SLEEP OR DO PARTISAN BOXING.
COULD YOU PLEASE COME UP, PLEASE? THANK YOU.
CHAIRPERSON GRE TO PRAY VICE CHAIR VICE FINAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS LORIGO, TODARO AND BARGNESI. MY NAME IS STANLEY SLIEVA. I'M AN ATTORNEY. I'VE RETIRED. I'M 72 YEARS OLD AND LAST WAS THE TOWN ATTORNEY FOR THE TOWN OF AMHERST FROM JANUARY 2016 TO DECEMBER 2022.
I'M HERE NOT AS AN ATTORNEY TODAY. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF A CLIENT. I'M HERE BECAUSE LIKE 1.1 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES RAISES THE POPULATION OF ERIE COUNTY OR 90,000 PEOPLE A YEAR, WHICH IS THE POPULATION OF CHEEKTOWAGA. I HAVE PARKINSON'S. I WAS DIAGNOSED IN FEBRUARY OF 2022. I'VE LIVED WITH THIS DISEASE AND HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE BASED UPON MY OWN RESEARCH INTO THIS.
PARKINSON'S IS A NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE. IT IS MOST FAMOUS PERSON SUFFERING FROM IT IS MICHAEL J. FOX BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S A SNOWFLAKE DISEASE. MEANS EVERY PERSON HAS DIFFERENT ABILITIES AND DIFFERENT RESTRICTIONS AND NEEDS INDIVIDUALIZED CARE. AND THAT IS WHAT PARKINSON'S BOXING DOES. I'VE BEEN GOING TO PARKINSON'S BOXING FOR APPROXIMATELY THE LAST TWO YEARS. THEY ARE AMAZING. THEY PROVIDE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 7AM TO 7PM ONE ON ONE TRAINING WITH YOU AND THEY ADDRESS YOUR INDIVIDUALIZED PROBLEMS. EACH TRAINER HAS AN IPAD WHERE THEY TRACK YOUR PROGRESS. IT IS AN AMAZING PLACE.
WITHOUT THE INTERVENTION OF PROGRESS AND BOXING, I WOULD NOT BE SPEAKING HERE TODAY. I WOULD NOT BE WALKING, I WILL NOT BE PLAYING GOLF, I WILL NOT BE GOING
[00:15:01]
TO SAVERS AND BILLS GAMES WITH MY LOVELY WIFE OF 43 YEARS, FLORA.TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO OTHER ENTITY IN THIS COMMUNITY PROVIDES THE TYPE OF INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT THAT PARKINSON'S BOXING PROVIDES. I DO NOT HAVE UNIVERA COVERAGE, BUT I KNOW PEOPLE THERE WHO HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT UNIVERA WILL NOT RENEW THEIR CONTRACT WITH PARKINSON'S BOXING. AND BEAR IN MIND, PARKINSON'S BOXING IS NOT A TYPICAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE TO HAVE SERVICES PROVIDED BY CONTRACT BECAUSE OF A VARIETY OF CONCERNS. THEY TOLD DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENT THINGS. RECENTLY, LINDA KOZLOWSKI, WHO YOU'LL HEAR FROM SHORTLY, HAS BEEN TOLD IN RELATION TO A GRIEVANCE SHE FILED THAT THERE'S OTHER THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT CAN SERVE YOU, LIKE SILVER SNEAKERS. THERE ISN'T. RECENTLY THE CEO OF UNIVERA TOLD A POLITICIAN THAT I HAD TO CONTACT THEM THAT PARKINSON BOXING IS THE NEW KID IN THE BLOCK AND THAT THEIR DATA SHOWS THAT PHYSICAL THERAPY PERFORMS BETTER. IT'S CATEGORICALLY FALSE. PARKS AND BOXING WAS FORMED IN 2016 AND HAS PRESENTLY OVER 500 CLIENTS.
AND ALTHOUGH THEY INITIALLY WERE FOCUSED UPON FUNDAMENTALS OF BOXING THAT HELP PARKINSON'S PATIENTS, AND THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT, THEY'VE EVOLVED OVER TIME. THEY ARE PRESENTLY GEARED TOWARD TRAINING PEOPLE TO USE NEURAL PATHWAYS IN THE BRAIN WHICH HAVE BEEN DESTROYED. SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PARKINSON'S PATIENTS ONLY. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STROKE PATIENTS, PEOPLE SUFFERING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE HEAD.
NO, NOT HEAD TRAUMA, HEAD TRAUMA. I'VE ALREADY COVERED TUMORS. AND THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB OF REHABILITATING BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BEAR IN MIND IT'S INDIVIDUALIZED CARE. NOBODY ELSE SHOWS. AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE HERE, CINDY SUTTON, WHOSE HUSBAND SUFFERS WITH PARKINSON'S, WILL TALK ABOUT THE STATISTICS OF WHAT YOU'LL BE NOW. FROM A PURELY ECONOMIC STANDPOINT, THE DECISION MAKES NO SENSE.
BUT THIS IS TYPICAL. AND I'LL GIVE YOU A STORY THAT AFFECTS ME PERSONALLY. I WAS OVERWEIGHT AT ONE POINT. MY DOCTORS PRESCRIBED A WEIGHT LOSS MEDICATION. MEDICARE WOULD NOT PROVIDE COVERAGE UNLESS I HAD A HEART ATTACK OR A STROKE.
THEY'D RATHER PAY FOR ME TO BE REHABBED FROM A HEART ATTACK OR A STROKE THAN TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING.
THAT'S RIDICULOUS. SO I DECIDED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET MYSELF UNTIL THE SO CALLED BREACH PROGRAM CAME TO BED. THE COST OF A FALL. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE AWARE OF THIS.
STATISTICS SHOW THAT IF YOU'RE OVER 65 AND YOU FALL, ONE IN FOUR PEOPLE DIE WITHIN A YEAR OF FRACTURING THEIR HIPS. AND THE STATISTICS FOR WOMEN IS WORSE. ONE IN OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT DIED WITHIN A YEAR OF THE FALL, HALF OF THEM DIED WITHIN HALF THREE MONTHS OF THEIR FALL. FRACTURED HIPS ARE NOTORIOUS. AND WHAT PARKINSON BOXING HELPS DO IS PREVENT FALLS BECAUSE THEY TEACH YOU PROPER WALKING MECHANISMS. IN FACT, THERE'S A JOKE AMONG MOVEMENT DISORDER SPECIALISTS IN THIS AREA. WE KNOW YOU'VE BEEN IN PARKINSON'S BOXING.
YOU HAVE THE POXY BOX OF YOUR WALL. AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT THE EXPERTS DISAGREE COMPLETELY WITH UNIVERA AND I WANT TO READ YOU SOME QUOTES. THESE ARE FROM LETTERS THAT ARE ON THE WALLS AT PARKINSON BOXING, WHICH I INVITE ALL OF YOU TO ATTEND, TO GO THERE IN PERSON TO SEE WHAT THEY DO AND TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS THERE.
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF MOVEMENT DISORDER AT THE VA HOSPITAL. I HAVE YET TO SEE A PARKINSON PATIENT WHO HAS NOT BENEFITED FROM PARKINSON BOXING. THIS APPARENT NEAR UNIVERSAL BENEFIT IS SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT APPLY TO OTHER THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS, PHARMACOLOGICAL AND NON PHARMACOLOGICAL.
FROM UB NEUROLOGY, WHICH HAS A NUMBER OF MOVEMENT DISORDER SPECIALISTS. THERE'S TWO LETTERS THERE, ONE FROM A NURSE PRACTITIONER, RACHEL SHEPHERD, WHO SEES A LOT OF PEOPLE. SHE SAYS, I'VE REFERRED NUMEROUS PATIENTS TO PARKINSON'S BOXING.
INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE GIVEN UP HOPE OF NEARLY FALLING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO PERFORM FORM IN SOCIETY. AFTER ONLY WEEKS OF PARTICIPATION, MANY RETURNED TO MY OFFICE AND I CAN TELL THAT THEY HAD IT.
DR. THOMAS CATUSO AT UB NEUROLOGY, WHO'S A MOVEMENT DISORDER NEUROLOGIST AS CRITICAL. IT'S NOT YOUR TYPICAL NEUROLOGIST. IT'S SOMEONE THAT'S TRAINED SPECIFICALLY IN MOVEMENT DISORDERS. HE SAYS, VIRTUALLY ALL MY PATIENTS AT PARKINSON'S POXY SHOW BENEFITS.
THEY REPORT REMARKABLE BENEFITS. THEY PERFORM THEIR DAILY ACTIVITIES SUCH AS WALKING, SHOPPING, EXERCISING, AND WORKING. I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING QUICK. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN QUICK. STENOGRAPHERS
[00:20:01]
IN COURTS USED TO YELL AT ME ALL THE TIME. AND MY WIFE'S GOING TO SAY, SLOW DOWN. WHAT WE'RE HERE TODAY IS TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP BECAUSE IT'S A PRIVATE CONTRACT BETWEEN. BETWEEN UNIVERA AND PARKINSON BOXING. AND SINCE THEY DECIDED NOT TO RENEW IT, ALL WE CAN DO IS PUT PRESSURE ON THEM. AND WHAT I WANT TO DO IS MAKE THE COMMUNITY AWARE OF WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND ASK EVERYBODY WHO CAN. TWO THINGS.NUMBER ONE, CALL THEM. CALL UNIVERA AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE TELLING YOU BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY CHANGE THE REASONING LIKE THE LEAVES FALL. NUMBER TWO, I WANT TO SHOW SOME VIDEOS TO YOU OF WHAT PARKINSON'S BOXING DOES, INCLUDING HELPING SOMEONE WALK THEIR DAUGHTER DOWN THE AISLE WHO COULD BARELY WALK AT HER WEDDING.
THANK YOU. FRANKIE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER AFTER TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY. SEE HOW HE'S DRAGGING THESE FOOT.
COMPLETELY NORMAL. EVEN WITH US WITH TRAINED EYES, WE DON'T KNOW TO LOOK AT HIM.
YOU WOULDN'T KNOW WHICH LEG HE WAS DRAGGING.
BONNIE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE.
[INAUDIBLE] HE'S STANDING ON ONE FOOT ON A UNEVEN DEVICE [INAUDIBLE].
HE ACTUALLY IS A TRAINER THERE.
NOTICE THE WAY HE'S GOT ON HIS SHOULDERS. THIS AND PLAY ONE OF THE GUYS. THERE'S ONE SAID THIS MORNING OF SOMEONE WHO COULD NOT WALK HIS DAUGHTER DOWN THE AISLE AND END UP BEING ABLE TO DANCE WITH HER AT HER WEDDING.
I THINK WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF TECH ON THE DIFFICULTY.
ALL RIGHT, IF YOU LOOK, GO TO THE WEBSITE PARKINSONBOXING.COM YOU WILL SEE A NUMBER OF VIDEOS THERE.
THEY ARE AMAZING. INCLUDING THIS GENTLEMAN WHO WANTED TO WALK HIS DAUGHTER DOWN THE AISLE FOR HER WEDDING AND HE ENDED UP NOT ONLY WALKING HER DOWN THE AISLE BUT DANCING WITH HER. AND THAT'S WHAT PARKINSON BOXING DOES. AND THIS PUTTING YOUR HEAD IN THE SAD APPROACH IS RIDICULOUS. POWERS OF BOXY ALSO DOES A COUPLE OF OTHER UNIQUE THINGS. THEY ARE, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE ONLY ENTITY THAT PROVIDES SUPPORT GROUP SESSIONS ON A MONTHLY BASIS FOR THE CAREGIVERS OF PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM BULGARIAN PARKINSON'S. IT'S IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON THE CAREGIVERS. THEY BEAR THE BRUNT OF THE PROBLEMS AND YOU CAN HEAR FROM AT LEAST ONE OF THEM TODAY. THIS PLACE IS AMAZING. YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY UNIVERSAL'S DECISION AS WELL. AS A CAREGIVER, I CAN ONLY ASK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
MY STORY STARTS ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO. MY HUSBAND NOTICED THAT I WAS SHUFFLING MY LEFT FOOT WHEN WE WOULD GO SHOPPING. MY MANAGER AT WORK EVEN ASKED IF SOMETHING WAS WRONG BECAUSE I WAS MOVING IN SLOW MOTION. MY SON FINALLY CONVINCED ME TO SEE MY DOCTOR AND AFTER THREE DOCTORS AND MANY TESTS, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE. MY NEUROLOGIST, DR. THOMAS GUTIERREZ OF UVMD NEUROLOGY, PRESCRIBED MEDICATION CALLED CARBIDOPA LEVODOPA, WHICH IS COMMON FOR TREATING PARKINSON'S. BUT I CONTINUED TO STRUGGLE WITH BALANCE, COORDINATION, AND FALLS. DR.
CATUSO RECOMMENDED PARKINSON'S BOXING TO HELP WITH MY TREATMENT. AT FIRST, I WAS RESISTANT TO THE IDEA I
[00:25:01]
HAD NEVER EXERCISED IN MY LIFE. MY SON DRAGGED ME TO AN APPOINTMENT TO MAKE MEET WITH THE OWNER. I WASN'T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT, BUT THE STAFF WAS WELCOMING AND I LOOK FORWARD NOW TO ATTENDING MY HOUR LONG SESSIONS TWICE A WEEK. THE TRAINERS WORK WITH EACH ONE OF US ONE ON ONE. WE FOCUS ON EXERCISES THAT HELP WITH MY COORDINATION AND BALANCE. WE WORK ON PRACTICAL THINGS LIKE GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE CAR, HOW TO GET UP IF YOU FALL, SWINGING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED BUT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO SOMEONE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE. OVER TIME, I HAVE SEEN IMPROVEMENTS IN MY POSTURE, MY WALKING, AND MY CONFIDENCE.WITHOUT INSURANCE, THESE SESSIONS WOULD COST ABOUT $480 PER MONTH, WHICH I WOULD BE UNABLE TO AFFORD. WITHOUT THE PARKINSON'S BOXING, I RISK LOSING THE PROGRESS I HAVE MADE. AND FOR A PARKINSON'S PATIENT, THAT CAN MEAN FALLS, HIP FRACTURES, AND HOSPITALIZATIONS. PROGRAMS LIKE THESE HELP REMAIN INDEPENDENT LONGER AND REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF COSTLY INTERVENTIONS DOWN THE ROAD. I'M ASKING THE COMMITTEE TO HELP MAKE SURE UNIVERA REVERSES THIS DECISION SO I AND OTHERS CAN KEEP THE CARE THAT'S KEEPING US ON OUR FEET. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
YES, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND LISTENING TO ALL THESE DZ STORIES. AND I AM HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY HUSBAND. BUT I'D LIKE TO SHARE SOME NUMBERS THAT I THINK ARE REALLY CRITICAL ON WHAT DEAN HAS DONE, WHAT HAPPENED DURING FALLS, AND ACTUALLY IN THIS COUNTRY COST OVER $52 BILLION A YEAR. IT'S 6 TO 7, 6 TO 8% OF THE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID BUDGET. AND OF COURSE, THERE'S THE HUMAN TOLL THAT WORKED WITH THIS.
WHAT COVID DID IN THE LOCKDOWNS, IT ADVERSELY AFFECTED ALL OF US IN BUT ESPECIALLY THE MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
DEEM AND HIS TEAM COMPILED COMPREHENSIVE DATA ON 98 CLIENTS WITH PARKINSON'S, WITH ONE OF THE FOCUSES BEING ON FALLS. DR. CRAIG HORBENSINSKI, A NEUROPATHOLOGIST FROM NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, ANALYZED THE DATA AND THIS IS WHAT HE CAME UP WITH THAT SIX MONTHS BEFORE COVID 19 LOCKDOWN BOXING THERAPY AT PARKINSON'S BOXING WAS ABLE TO REDUCE FALLS BY 87%. DURING COVID'S LOCKDOWN, WHICH LASTED ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MONTHS, PATIENTS WERE UNABLE TO SEE TO USE BOXING THERAPY. THE RISK OF FALLING INCREASED 51% A MONTH AS MEASURED BY SELF REPORTED FALLS. FIRST TIME DOCUMENTED FEMALES DECLINED FASTER AND FOUR PEOPLE DIED FROM THE GYM. WHEN WE REOPENED WITH THE GYM. ONCE PATIENTS WERE ABLE TO RESUME BOXING THERAPY, THE RISK OF FALLING DECREASED BY 20% EACH MONTH AS AGAIN MEASURED BY SELF REPORTED FALLS. WHY I'M HERE TODAY IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY LITERALLY PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER THESE PATIENTS, MY HUSBAND BEING ONE OF THEM.
AND TAKE THIS AGAIN, THE ONE ON ONE INDIVIDUAL THERAPY, WHICH IS CRITICAL BECAUSE AS STAN HAD SAID, EVERY PATIENT IS DIFFERENT.
BUT YOU'VE SEEN ONE PARKINSON'S PATIENT, THAT'S ALL YOU'VE SEEN IS ONE PARKINSON'S PATIENT. IT HAS HELPED MAINTAIN HIS FUNCTION FOR HIS BRAIN'S NEUROPLASTICITY TO ADAPT AND LEARN NEW SKILLS TO MAINTAIN MOBILITY, STRENGTH, BALANCE, AND GAIT. AS DR.
HORBINSKI WROTE, THE MOST SERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS OF PD IS GAIT INSTABILITY.
THIS LEADS TO FALL SERIOUS DEBILITATING COMPLICATIONS, EVEN DEATH. AND AS WE HAVE SEEN AT OUR GYM, THIS IS PERSONAL AND I THINK HEALTH CARE SHOULD BE. I DON'T WANT MY HUSBAND TO BE ANOTHER STATISTICS WHEN THIS CAN BE AN AVOIDABLE CONSEQUENCE. MY HUSBAND KEN WAS DIAGNOSED DECEMBER OF 2019. HE HAS TREMOR DOMINANT PARKINSON'S AND STARTED WITH DEAN AT THE PARKINSON'S GYM JANUARY OF 20. PARKINSON'S DISEASE HAS TAKEN ALMOST EVERYTHING FROM HIM.
BUT WHAT THE PARKINSON'S, BOXING, ITS THERAPIES, ITS PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN US HOPE, SKILLS TO COPE, FRIENDSHIPS, A SENSE OF BELONGING, OF SAFETY. YOU KNOW, WHEN I DROP HIM OFF
[00:30:04]
AT THE GYM TWICE A WEEK, HE NEVER MISSES. I THINK HE MISSED ONCE. HE'S IN BETTER HANDS THAN MINE AS A CAREGIVER. IT'S A 24, 7 JOB WHICH I GLADLY TAKE.I'VE BEEN MARRIED 44 YEARS. IT IS THE ONLY TIME I HAVE PEACE OF MIND. AND THAT IS VERY, VERY HARD TO COME BY. THE PERSON WITH PD, THEY ARE UNDERSTOOD THERE.
THEY ARE NOT JUDGED, BUT THEY ARE SAFE. SAFETY IS ALL I THINK ABOUT ALL DAY. I ANTICIPATE ALL HIS NEEDS. I DON'T WANT TO BE OVERPROTECTIVE. HE'S ALWAYS A GUY THAT COULD FIX ANYTHING. HE'S A CONTRACTOR, STILL CAN TELL YOU HOW TO DO IT. MANY DAYS I'M HIS HANDS. I HAVE LEARNED MORE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS ON THINGS I'VE NEVER WANTED TO KNOW.
IT HAS HELPED HIS CONFIDENCE, HIS INDEPENDENCE. IT HAS GIVEN HIM SOMETHING I CAN'T GIVE HIM.
DECEMBER OF 24 WE WERE DOING GREAT. WONDERFUL. THEY COULDN'T BELIEVE THE PROGRESS, THE PEOPLE, EVERYTHING THAT WAS THERE. KEN WAS DIAGNOSED WITH KIDNEY CANCER. KIND OF KNOCKED US BACK. WE WERE LUCKY. HE WAS CAUGHT AT STAGE ONE. I TALKED TO COLLEEN AT THE GYM AND DEAN AND THEY SAY NO PROBLEM. THE MINUTE HE'S BETTER, YOU GET THERE AND YOUR SPOT IS SAVED. IT WILL ALWAYS BE THERE. HE WAS IN GYM THE EARLY PART OF FEBRUARY BECAUSE THAT WAS THE FIRST THING I WORKED WITH AND WITH HIS DOCTORS. HE LOST FROM A MAN THAT COULD GO ON A SECOND FLOOR TWO BY FOUR AND WALK IT AND NEVER HAVE ANXIETY A DAY IN HIS LIFE. TO A MAN THAT COULD HARDLY PULL HIMSELF UP, HE LOST MOST OF HIS CORE STRENGTH.
WITH THE HELP OF HIS COACHES AND EVERYONE THERE IN THE SUPPORT, THEY REBUILT HIS CORE. IS IT BACK TO WHERE IT WAS? NO.
BUT CAN HE FUNCTION? YES. MY HUSBAND IS SIX FOOT, ALMOST £200. HE HAS NOT FALLEN IN SIX YEARS. HE HAS NEVER FALLEN WITH THEIR, THEIR THERAPIES, THEY TEACH HIM THE WAYS TO WORK. I LISTEN TO WHAT HE TELLS ME WHEN HE COMES HOME AND I AM BLOWN AWAY. SO LAST NIGHT, MY HUSBAND ISN'T THE TALKING LIKE STAN IS. HE'S NOT A GUY THAT'S GOING TO GO IN AND LOOK AT A JOURNAL AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT A MEDICATION. THOSE ARE MY JOBS. SO I ASKED HIM BECAUSE I COULDN'T EVEN READ THIS TO HIM BECAUSE THAT'S VERY HARD TO DO. SO I ASKED HIM WHAT HE FELT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT PARKINSON'S BOXING AND HIS COACHES HAVE GIVEN HIM.
AND WITHOUT A HESITATION, HE SAID MOTIVATION TO KEEP GOING, TO KEEP LIVING. THEY GIVE HIM HOPE. HOW DO YOU TAKE THAT AWAY FROM HIM? IT WAS A FUNNY THING LAST NIGHT. AND YOU SAW THE BOXING WITH THE PING PONG. NOW THIS IS A MAN WHO'S TREMOR DOMINANT, CAN'T HOLD HIS HAMMER. HE BEAT HIS COACH YESTERDAY AT PING PONG. WHAT HE CAN DO THERE AND THE THINGS HE'S LEARNED, I FEEL SAFER. I FEEL THAT HE. I COULD LEAVE TODAY, WHICH IS A HARD THING TO DO.
THESE DECISIONS ARE REAL. THEY HAVE CONSEQUENCES FINANCIALLY.
WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE SOME OF THIS THERAPY. YOU HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES. DO I GET BREAD OR DO I DO THIS? AND WE WILL DO ANYTHING TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS BECAUSE THERE IS NO PLACE THAT OFFERS WHAT THEY DO HERE. DEAN HAS A. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOD GIVEN SIXTH SENSE. HE KNOWS WHAT PEOPLE NEED, HE KNOWS WHAT TO TOUCH, HE KNOWS WHERE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF HIM. SO MY QUESTION IS IF UNIVERA DISCONTINUES ITS CRITICAL THERAPY. AND I GOT THIS FROM CHATGPT BECAUSE IT SOUNDED MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT I COULD SAY. IT SAID, WHAT WOULD THEY RECOMMEND MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE FOR PREVENTING FUNDAMENTAL DECLINE IN FALLS.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? ON NBC NEWS, THEY DO THIS
[00:35:01]
SERIES AND THEY ASK WHAT IS THE COST OF DENIAL? AND I'M SURE EVERYONE HAS SEEN IT. WELL, THE COST OF DENIAL MIGHT BE MY HUSBAND OR IT MAY BE SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY. FOR SOMETHING THAT IS SO CRITICAL, THERE IS NO MONEY THAT YOU COULD GIVE ME THAT THIS. I WOULD RATHER HAVE HIM AT THE GYM. SO I THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO UNDERSTAND FROM THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE PARKINSON'S NEXT TO ME TO THE CAREGIVERS THAT DON'T SLEEP, DON'T EAT, ALL THEY THINK ABOUT IS TAKING CARE OF THEIR LOVED ONES. AND I WILL DO ANYTHING TO TRY TO MAKE THAT MY GOAL BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO FIGHT FOR AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.I APPRECIATE THAT. I GOT THEM ALL OVER THE PLACE.
[INAUDIBLE] ALSO SPEAKING ISSUES, GIVING YOU WHAT THE SUPPORT GROUPS GIVE YOU IS IDEAS TO FOCUS ON. PARKINSON'S PATIENTS SUFFER FROM, AMONG OTHER THINGS, PHYSICALLY SWALLOWING PROBLEMS, BREATHING PROBLEMS, THINKING PROBLEMS. I WAKE UP IN A FOG. AFTER THE TIME, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S OLD AGE OR PARKINSON'S, BUT I WAKE UP IN A FOG.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE I PUT MY KEYS. AND AGAIN, THAT COULD BE OLD AGE.
BUT YOU HEAR FROM ANOTHER PERSON THAT GOT THE DENY BENEFITS. CARRIE SUTTON.
I WAS DIAGNOSED TWO YEARS AGO.
AFTER THE INITIAL SHOCK, I WENT HOME AND STARTED GOOGLING PARKINSON'S. BOXING CAME UP, SAID, I DON'T KNOW IF I REALLY WANT TO GET INTO BOXING, BUT WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO IS WE'LL GO CHECK IT OUT AND SEE. BOXING IS A VERY SMALL PART OF THE PROGRAM.
THE IPAD IS CUSTOM FOR YOU. SO IF I'M WORKING WITH DAN ONE DAY, I CAN WORK WITH DAN THE NEXT TIME SOMEBODY ELSE CAN PICK UP AND SEE WHERE WE LET OFF, WHAT I'M GOOD AT, WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO WORK ON. I PRETTY MUCH WORK ON BODY, MY BALANCE, AND MY COORDINATION. SOME PEOPLE SAID I DON'T LOOK LIKE I HAVE PARKINSON'S.
WELL, I DO. I CAN GO EIGHT TIMES A MONTH, $10 EACH VISIT.
IF THE PROGRAM GOES AWAY, IT WOULD BE $60 FOR EACH VISIT THEY'LL PAY. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO GO EIGHT TIMES A MONTH.
THEY HAD $60. WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? YOU COULD BE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PICK ANOTHER INSURANCE.
BUT THAT'S NOT SO EASY TO DO WHEN YOU'RE 70 AND 75 AND 80 YEARS OLD. I MEAN, ARE ALL MY DOCTORS COVERED? IS MY MEDICATION COVERED? IT'S NOT EASY TO JUST SAY, I'M GOING TO SWITCH INSURANCE.
I WOULD HATE TO LEAVE UNIVERA, BUT WE MAY NOT HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE. MY WHOLE CONCERN IS WILL CLIENTS SIMPLY NOT PARTICIPATE AND NOT GO TO PARKINSON'S BOXING? NOT HAVING AN ALTERNATIVE, NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO, THAT IS A MAJOR CONCERN. I LOVE THE UNIVERO PEOPLE TO WALK INTO PARKINSON'S BOXING, EVEN JUST BE A WALK IN AND WALK AROUND AND SEE WHAT EVERYBODY IS DOING. I THINK IT WOULD BE MIND BLOWING. JUST COME AND VISIT AND SEE WHAT EACH PERSON IS DOING AND YOUR MIND MAY HAVE CHANGED.
CAN I SAY ONE MORE THING? THE COURAGE THAT IT TAKES FOR ACTUALLY EACH ONE OF THESE PEOPLE TO WALK IN THAT GYM AND SEE WHAT LIES AHEAD OF YOU. BECAUSE THERE'S PEOPLE WITH ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF PARKINSON'S AND IN DIFFERENT LEVELS AND DISABILITIES. MY HUSBAND IS THE STRONGEST MAN I KNOW. WHAT HAPPENS WITH MOST OF THESE PATIENTS TOO IS THEY GET VERY ISOLATED. AND SPEAKING TO WHAT CARRIE SAID, MY HUSBAND WOULD BE UP AT EVERY MORNING. HE'D BE AT WEGMANS HAVING COFFEE WITH THE GUYS ON ALBERTA. HE WAS THE GUY THAT BROUGHT EVERYBODY TOGETHER. THAT'S WHO HE WAS. HE DOES THAT A LOT AT THE GYM, BUT HE DOESN'T GO ANYMORE.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET HIM BACK THERE. WHAT I FIND IS THAT THE CAMARADERIE, THE CARING, HE GOES NO MATTER HOW BAD IT IS. AND I KNOW HE'S.
AND AGAIN, SAFETY, HE COMES OUT. HOW'D YOU DO? I THINK GREAT TODAY.
[00:40:01]
AS I SAID, I BEAT MAX YESTERDAY AT PING PONG. FOR A MAN THAT COULD BUILD ANYTHING TO SAYING, HEY, I WANT A PING PONG GAME TODAY. I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND HOW SO MANY PEOPLE WILL BE LOST THROUGH THE CRACKS. THEY WON'T GO FARTHER. THEIR CAREGIVERS CAN'T EVEN THINK TO GET THROUGH THE DAY. THEY MAY NOT COME AND YOU MAY NOT HEAR THEIR VOICES, BUT THEIR VOICES ARE THERE.AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO BE HERE SO BADLY BECAUSE IT IS SO IMPORTANT. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU.
I JUST WANT TO ADDITIONAL THING BEFORE WE GET TO THE QUESTIONS. THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON, WHAT THE COST REALLY IS. IT'S A MINOR COST TO PROVIDE THE PROGRAM. IT'S A MAJOR COST IF YOU FALL AND FRACTURE SOMETHING. HANDS, HIPS. WE HEARD STATISTICS OF HOW MUCH IT COSTS FOR HOSPITALIZATION. WE HEARD STATISTICS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE DIE AFTER HIP FRACTURES. THIS WAS SHOCKING. AND I WANTED TO CLOSE WITH TWO THINGS.
PANDORA'S BOX. AFTER SHE LET OUT ALL THE EVILS OF THE WORLD, WHAT WAS LEFT IN THE BOX? A GEM CALLED HOPE.
AND THAT IS WHAT PARKINSON'S BOXING GIVES YOU. AND THE FINAL THING I HAVE TO SAY IS GO BILLS. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I WANT TO FIRST OF ALL, JUST THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THIS CONVERSATION WAS HAPPENING TODAY, BUT MY GRANDFATHER WAS IN PARKINSON BOXING. AND I CAN'T TELL YOU THE DIFFERENCE IT MADE FOR MY GRANDMOTHER THAT WAS TAKING CARE OF HIM. THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD IT IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD.
AND I REMEMBER THE JOURNEY SHE WENT ON GOOGLING EVERYTHING THAT SHE COULD POSSIBLY GET HIM INTO. AND THE WORK THAT HAPPENS THERE IS INCREDIBLE. AND I THINK I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT YOU ENDED WITH.
THE HOPE. WALKING IN AND SEEING PEOPLE THAT LOOKED LIKE HIM WAS A GAME CHANGER.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN SO QUICKLY. STAN HAD BROUGHT THIS TO, TO MY ATTENTION ON WEDNESDAY AND I SAID I WAS GOING TO ASK LAWRENCE DUPREE IF HE WOULD ALLOW IT AT THIS MEETING TODAY. AND WHEN I TALKED TO LAWRENCE DUPREE, HE KNEW STAN RIGHT AWAY AND KNEW ALL ABOUT PARKINSON'S AND HAD BEEN TO ONE OF YOUR EVENTS AND IS A VERY BIG ADVOCATE FOR THE PARKINSON'S COMMUNITY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK IF I WAS. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS LIKE FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, STAN SAID THAT YOU CAN'T. IT'S A PRIVATE CONTRACT, BUT IT IS A CONTRACT THAT'S REGULATED BY THE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.
SO I WANT TO GET OUT TODAY OR TOMORROW A LETTER TO THE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT ASKING THEM TO INTERVENE IN SOME WAY AND SET UP A MEETING.
SO I WANTED. YOU WERE GOING TO SEND ME THE DENIAL LETTER AND THEN I WAS GOING TO SHARE IT WITH OUR FELLOW LEGISLATORS TO SEE IF THEY WANTED TO SIGN ON. AND ALSO I WANTED TO JUST ASK, HOW MANY PEOPLE DID YOU SAY DIE WITHIN A YEAR AFTER FALL? DID YOU SAY, OR WHAT PERCENTAGE OR SOMETHING YOU SAID WITHIN A YEAR. IF YOU'RE OVER AGE 65 AND HAVE A HIP FRACTURE, ONE IN FOUR DIE WITHIN A YEAR. OF THOSE, 50% DIE WITHIN THREE MONTHS.
AND WOMEN'S STATISTICS ARE WORSE THAN MEN'S.
AND THEN. SO IF THERE'S OTHER THINGS ON THAT I WANTED TO. I HAD TOLD, LIKE, I LOOK AT IT AS SUCH A, YOU KNOW, AGAINST PUBLIC POLICY TO DENY IT. I TOLD STAN AND ALSO SHARED WITH LEGISLATOR MAIL. MY FATHER WAS IN. HE HAD POLIO BEFORE I WAS BORN. AND THEN HE COULDN'T. HE WAS NOT INCONTINENT OR ANYTHING, BUT HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL TWO YEARS AND THEN A WHEELCHAIR FOREVER. COULD NEVER STAND.
AND I ALWAYS PRAYED EVERY NIGHT LIKE, YOU KNOW, COULD HE WALK? YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS PRAYED FOR THAT. I FOUND OUT WHEN I WAS OLDER MY SISTER WAS DOING THE SAME THING. YOU KNOW, SHE WAS PREGNANT. IT NEVER HAPPENED, BUT HE STILL HAD A GOOD LIFE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE HE HAD A CAREGIVER LIKE HUGH. MY MOTHER WAS LIKE THAT. SHE ALWAYS, NEVER BEGRUDGED ON SUCH A GOOD CAREGIVER. SO I THINK THAT A COMPANY TAKING THAT AWAY FROM PEOPLE IS JUST NOT ONLY AGAINST PUBLIC POLICY, BUT, YOU KNOW, PRETTY CLOSE TO A SIN. SO I AM WILLING TO SUPPORT IT AND I KNOW OUR FELLOW LEGISLATORS WILL. SO I'M GOING TO SEND IT AROUND AND I'LL SEND A COPY TO YOU. IF YOU GIVE A LIST OF THE PEOPLE YOU WANT SEND IT.
WE CAN SEND A COPY TO UNIVERA TODAY OR TOMORROW AND THIS WAY HOPEFULLY GET SOMETHING. YOU CAN'T GUARANTEE ANYTHING, BUT MAYBE AT LEAST IF THE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT TRIES TO DO SOMETHING AND IN THE PAST I HAVE WORKED WITH THEM ON ISSUES SUCCESSFULLY. THEY HAVE ATTORNEYS LIKE STAN WHO ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, WORK ON MAKING THE REGULATIONS. SO THE STATE GIVES THE POWER TO THE LEGISLATION, GIVES THE POWER TO THE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE REGULATIONS
[00:45:01]
ON ALL AREAS OF INSURANCE HEALTH BECAUSE THEY'RE LICENSED IN NEW YORK STATE AND THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO ABIDE BY THOSE. SO MAYBE THERE CAN BE SOMETHING. I HOPE WE DIDN'T MISS ANY DEADLINES ON THE TIME TO APPEAL OR ANYTHING, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TRY TO DO THAT. AND I THINK IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER ON THIS. AND I ALSO WANTED TO FIND OUT, IS THIS A PROGRAM UNIQUE TO BUFFALO OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT'S AROUND THE STATE? WELL, IT DEPENDS. IT'S UNIQUE TO BUFFALO BECAUSE THEY'RE.THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ENTITIES THAT PROVIDE BOXING RELATED SERVICES, BUT NOT THE SAME.
BOXING PROVIDES ONE SESSION, TWO SESSIONS A MONTH.
NO, BUT I MEAN, WHEN WE ASK THE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT, IS THIS JUST A CONTRACT THAT'S ONLY IN WESTERN NEW YORK? NO, WELL, UNIVERA IS ONLY WESTERN NEW YORK.
NO, BUT I MEAN THIS PARTICULAR BOXING COMPANY, BOXING IS ONLY WESTERN NEW YORK. NUDIBARA'S DECISION ONLY IMPACTS WESTERN EUROPE.
AND THEN THERE ARE TWO LOCATIONS, THOUGH.
THERE IS ONE IN SOUTH COUNTY, HAMBURG, WHERE YOU START.
AND THEN THE TIME FOR. IT'S CRITICAL RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S TIME FOR THE OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR PEOPLE IS. STARTS OCTOBER 10TH, 9TH, 15TH.
AND OUR FEAR IS THEY'RE GONNA.
THIS IS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. MY BELIEF IS THAT IF THEY GET AWAY WITH OTHER CARRIERS, YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH LIKE THEY DID WITH ROSWELL.
AND THE TROUBLE IS THEY GO SO MUCH INTO IT TAKES IT FROM THE PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE, PUTS THE PERSON IN A NURSING HOME, AND THEN IT GOES ON MEDICARE, MEDICAID, BECAUSE THEY ONLY COVER FOR SUCH A SHORT TIME.
SO IT'S REALLY SHIFTING THAT HEALTH NEED FROM THEIR CONTRACT TO THE PRIVATE TO THE PUBLIC SECTOR. SO IT DOES HAVE A PUBLIC IMPACT ON EVERYONE. SO THANK YOU GUYS ALL FOR COMING IN SUCH SHORT NOTICE. AND ESPECIALLY THANK YOU FOR LAWRENCE DUPREE FOR ALLOWING IT TO HAPPEN TODAY WITH SUCH SHORT NOTICE.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? I JUST HAVE A QUICK STATEMENT AND A QUESTION.
IN MY DISTRICT IN TONAWANDA, YOU GUYS HAVE COME A LONG WAY FROM THE BASEMENT ON DELAWARE AVENUE.
THAT YOU WERE THERE FOREVER AND EVER. AND I SAW YOUR PATIENTS GOING DOWNSTAIRS ON THE ELEVATOR UNTIL YOU EXPANDED ON COLON.
IT'S JUST A TESTAMENT TO WHAT PROGRAM YOU GUYS GET. I HAVE A QUESTION. COMING FROM A FAMILY THAT'S DEEP IN LOCAL BOXING IN WESTERN NEW YORK, AND UNFORTUNATELY, COMING FROM A FAMILY THAT HAS MORE THAN ONE PERSON THAT HAS PARKINSON'S IMMEDIATELY. HOW ARE THE OTHER HEALTH CARES TREATING YOU? SO HOW DOES BLUE CROSS TREAT YOU? HOW DOES INDEPENDENT HEALTH TREAT YOU? DO THEY COVER YOUR PATIENTS OR IS IT JUST BY CONTRACT? PARKINSON'S BOXING HAS A SPECIFIC CONTRACT WITH HIGHMARK, WHICH IS BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD, AND WITH INDEPENDENT HEALTH, BUT THEY EXPIRE AT THE END OF 20. 27.
SO CURRENTLY THOSE OTHER TWO PROVIDERS DO COVER THE PARKINSON'S SERVICE THAT YOU PROVIDE.
THERE ARE ONLY SIX VISITS A MONTH. THEY USED TO COVER EIGHT AND UP COVER SIX.
IS THERE A FEELING. AM I GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF HERE? IS THERE A FEELING THAT THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE WHEN THE NEW CONTRACT COMES? THEY'RE GOING TO TERMINATE MY BELIEF. MY OPINION.
AND THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BELIEFS AND OPINIONS.
AS A LAWYER, BELIEFS ARE NOT FACTUALLY BASED. OPINIONS ARE FACTUALLY BASED. IT'S MY BELIEF THAT THEY WILL NOT EXTEND THEIR CONTRACT POLICY.
SO IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT VISITS TO YOUR FACILITY THAT THEY COVER THE COST OF THE COACH OR WHATEVER THAT MAY BE. SO IT CAN'T BE. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT AN EXTRAVAGANT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
SO THEIR ALTERNATIVE. I'M GOING BACK TO UNIVERA NOW.
THEIR ALTERNATIVE IS PHYSICAL THERAPY. AM I CORRECT IN SAYING THAT? RIGHT.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY TOLD THAT TO MS. KOZLOWSKI. AND THE TROUBLE IS THEY CUT YOU OFF AT A CERTAIN POINT DEPENDING UPON YOUR CONDITION. PHYSICAL THERAPY DOES. I MYSELF HAVE GONE THROUGH OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FOR PARKINSON'S. I HAD PROBLEMS WITH HANDWRITING. I HAD WONDERFUL PEOPLE HELP ME.
IN FACT, ONE OF THEM FOUND A MOUSE THAT I COULD USE. ONE OF MY TREMOR.
BECAUSE I'M TERMIDOMINA, A PHYSICAL THERAPIST. CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. MUST BE MORE THAN $60.
AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO BE LICENSED AND THEY HAVE TO PRESENTLY HAVE.
IT MAKES SENSE. SO THEY'RE ASKING YOU TO GO TO AN ALTERNATIVE THAT COSTS MORE MONEY, THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T HAVE AS GOOD A BENEFIT.
RIGHT. AND THEY CUT YOU OFF AT A CERTAIN POINT. PARKINSON BOXING NEVER CUT YOU OFF.
UNDERSTOOD. IT JUST. I'M TRYING TO PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER ON WHY IT DOESN'T. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
THAT THEY WOULD PUSH YOU TO AN ALTERNATIVE THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO GO TO THAT COSTS MORE MONEY.
RIGHT. BUT THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT MONEY.
[00:50:01]
OH, I THINK THEY DO. I THINK THEY DO.I HAVE A SPECIFIC BELIEF BASED UPON WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME, IS THAT WHAT'S THE NAME OF CAPITALISM. PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS ARE BUYING UP THESE COMPANIES ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THEY BOUGHT UP DOCTORS OFFICES, THEY BOUGHT UP OFFICES, THEY BOUGHT UP DENTIST OFFICES.
AND THEY ARE LOOKING TO MAKE A BUCK. AND THE WAY THEY MAKE A BUCK IS AS FOLLOWS.
THEY GET AS MUCH OUT OF THE COMPANY AS POSSIBLE, MAKE IT ECONOMICALLY SOUND AND FLIP IT, SELL AND THEY'RE OUT. AND THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT PEOPLE. THEY DON'T CARE. THEY'RE ALL THERE FOR THE MONEY. THAT'S ALL THAT THEY'RE MIGRANTLY FOR.
IT'S 100 ACCURATE. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS IS HOW, HOW DO YOU MAKE YOURSELF TO THAT BUSINESS MODEL MORE ATTRACTIVE WHERE THEY WOULD EXTEND OR RENEW THIS CONTRACT? WHAT, WHAT IS IN IT FOR THEM, FOR THEM TO SEE HOW THEY'RE GOING TO FIT THEIR BUSINESS MODEL.
PUT YOUR MICROPHONE ON PLEASE, SO WE ALL COULD HEAR YOU.
I'M FLORA SLIEVAS, DAN'S WIFE, AND I'M ALSO AN ATTORNEY.
AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED? 44 YEARS.
OKAY, GO AHEAD. IT WORKS AND COUNTING IN REGARD TO PT. PT DOES USUALLY HAVE A COPAY AS WELL.
THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE UNIVERA OR ANY OF THE OTHER INSURANCE COMPANIES DO PAY A COPAY FOR PARKINSON'S BOXING, BUT IT'S AN AFFORDABLE COPAY. I BELIEVE IT'S 10 OR $20 EACH VISIT, WHICH PEOPLE YOU KNOW CAN AFFORD MORE THAN THE $60 EACH VISIT. AND WITH PHYSICAL THERAPY IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE.
BUT THERE IS, USUALLY WITH INSURANCE THERE'S A COPAY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AS LONG AS THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL CONTINUE TO PAY FOR IT.
BECAUSE I MYSELF HAVE BEEN INSURANCE PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR SOMETHING FOR A WHILE AND AT SOME POINT GOT CUT OFF AND NOW I'M PAYING MORE BECAUSE OF THE, THE CO PAY IS DIFFERENT. SO I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE PAYING THE TOTAL COST. BUT THERE'S CO PAYS FOR IT FOR EVERYTHING.
SO THAT, SO, SO THAT RIGHT THERE IS THE DIFFERENCE THEN THAT THERE'S A SUNSET TO PHYSICAL THERAPY. WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT AND SENDING YOU OUT, THEY HAVE A SUNSET ALREADY, YOU HAVE SO MANY AND THEN IT'S GOING TO BE OVER.
AND IT DEPENDS, YOU KNOW, PER WHATEVER REASON THAT YOU'RE THERE FOR, THEY DECIDE THAT PHYSICAL THERAPY HAS TAUGHT YOU WHAT TO DO. NOW YOU CAN GO DO IT AT HOME YOURSELF. SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PAY FOR.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT AN ENDLESS TREATMENT.
RIGHT. SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PAY FOR THOSE VISITS ANYMORE.
AND IN REGARD TO THE COST, I THINK EVERYBODY HAS TALKED ABOUT IT, HOW FOOLISH IT IS TO SAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO PAY FOR THIS, WHICH KEEPS YOU FROM FALLING, BUT INSTEAD WE'LL PAY FOR YOU AFTER YOU FALL TO GO INTO THE HOSPITAL, TO HAVE SURGERY, TO PAY FOR REHAB, THINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT. SAM SAYS TO ME ALL THE TIME, WE HAVE A. WE DON'T HAVE A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
AND THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE PAYING A LOT OF MONEY FOR PEOPLE WHEN THEY END UP IN THE HOSPITAL.
AND WHAT THIS IS DONE, AND I SEE IT AT STAN, IT REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S. IT'S AMAZING. I MEAN, STAN DID HAVE A FEW FALLS BEFORE THIS AND HE HASN'T USED, YOU KNOW, AND PEOPLE FALL A LOT WITH PARKINSON'S. THAT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS PEOPLE HAVE. THEY ASPIRATE AND THEY END UP WITH PNEUMONIA. THESE ARE KINDS OF THINGS THAT PARKINSON'S BOXING HAS HELPED TREMENDOUSLY.
I THINK WE ALL. WE ALL CAN AGREE ON THAT. I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BUSINESS END OF IT AND THE ANGLE THAT. THAT THEY'RE TAKING. YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL ABOUT DOLLAR AND CENTS.
WELL, IT'S A PENNYWISE POUND FOOLISH.
UNDERSTOOD. UNDERSTOOD. I THINK LADIES WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.
IF SOMEBODY WALKED IN HERE, REPRESENTATIVE FROM UNIVERA, THEY PROBABLY SAY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL YOU PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT. WE GIVE YOU SILVER SNEAKERS. IS THAT ENOUGH? THEY GIVE YOU. WHAT DID YOU SAY THE PROGRAM IS CALLED? SILVER SNEAKERS. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HERE IS FAMILIAR WITH IT. I CAN GO TO A.
IN WESTERN NEW YORK AND THEY PAY FOR IT 100%.
GYM WHERE I CAN DO A TREADMILL.
I THINK THAT'S THE WAY THEY'RE THINKING. WE'RE GIVING YOU THAT, LIKE, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT? AND I THINK THAT'S A. BECAUSE THE SILVER SNEAKERS PROGRAM IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. I MEAN, AGAIN, APPLES AND ORANGES. AND I THINK THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE A REAL SLAP TO MY FACE, LIKE, YOU HAVE SILVER SNEAKERS. WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT? AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY IN THE LATTER.
AND SOME OF THE PLACES HAVE PROGRAMS FOR PARKINSON'S, BUT THEY'RE IN A LARGE GROUP. SO YOU MIGHT HAVE 20 PEOPLE OR 30 PEOPLE.
AND THEY. THERE'S ONE PERSON LEADING THE GROUP.
AND THEY'RE ONE HOUR AT A SPECIFIC TIME. SO IF YOU'RE WORKING OR YOU'RE STILL WORKING PART TIME, IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT AT NOON
[00:55:06]
ON MONDAYS, THEN WHAT DO YOU DO? WHEREAS PARKINSON'S BOXING SCHEDULES YOU AROUND YOUR SCHEDULE, BUT WHEN YOU'RE IN A GROUP OF 30 WHO HAVE PARKINSON'S, AND AS PREVIOUSLY SAID, EVERYBODY HAS DIFFERENT NEEDS, HOW IS EVERY PERSON'S NEED BEING MET? THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT EVERY PERSON'S NEED IS WHEN YOU'RE STANDING IN FRONT OF A GROUP OF 30.WE JUST HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
NO. LIKE I SAID, I THINK WE ALL COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. I THINK WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE WILLING TO SIGN ON TO THIS LETTER IN SUPPORT. I WANTED TO THANK YOU GUYS ALL FOR COMING. I JUST HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION. WHO'S THE BETTER LAWYER? WE DID DIFFERENT THINGS. I WAS A LITIGATOR FOR SOME YEARS.
I DID LABOR RELATIONS. MY LAST JOB, 17 YEARS AT THE BTF OFFICE, OF ALL PLACES.
THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, APPRECIATE EVERYBODY BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORIES.
STAN, YOUR ANSWER'S WRONG. YOU ALWAYS GIVE CREDIT TO YOUR WIFE. NEVER RAISE YOUR OWN HAND. I MEAN, 44 YEARS, YOU SHOULD FIGURE THAT OUT, RIGHT? SO I HAVE A MOM WHO IS A DEVOUT PACIFIST. IT WAS ALWAYS AN ARGUMENT WHETHER WE WERE EVER ALLOWED TO PLAY CONTACT SPORTS GROWING UP. MY DAD OFTEN WON OUT. BUT, YOU KNOW, IF I REFER OVER TO PARKINSON BOXING, THE FIRST THING SHE'S GOING TO BE IS LIKE, OH, YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY? BUT I'VE LOOKED IT UP. I'VE GONE THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE. I APPRECIATE YOU REFERRING THAT OVER. I ACTUALLY ALREADY SENT HER THE INFORMATION, BUT IT IS ALL NON CONTACT.
THAT'S KIND OF THE THING THAT SHE'D WANT TO KNOW MOST. IT'S MORE DEXTERITY AND THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES.
BUT WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU IS A DIFFERENT GROUP WHO CAME HERE PROBABLY ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, AND IT WAS INDIVIDUAL AND I FORGET HER NAME, BUT SHE RAN A MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC OVER ON THE EAST SIDE OF BUFFALO.
AND SHE HAD SAID SOMETHING TO ME THAT HAS STUCK WITH ME SINCE THAT TIME. AND HER SAYING WAS, YOU KNOW, THE BIG STIGMA SHE ALWAYS HAD TO DEAL WITH WAS, WHAT IS MENTAL ILLNESS VERSUS WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH? AND MY LIGHT BULB MOMENT WAS WHEN SHE LOOKED OVER AT THE LEGISLATURE AND SAID, GOOD MENTAL HEALTH FOR ME IS AN HOUR OF GOLDEN GIRLS AND A PINT OF BEN AND JERRY'S. AND THERE YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOMEBODY WHO NEEDS PHARMACEUTICAL INTERVENTION AND SOMEBODY WHO JUST NEEDS A BREAK MENTALLY, SOMEBODY WHO NEEDS A BOOST. SO WHEN YOU SHARED YOUR STORY ABOUT YOUR HUSBAND, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT SPARKED THIS. AND, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S ALMOST AS MUCH OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, MENTAL WELL BEING AS MUCH AS THE PHYSICAL PART. THEY GO HAND IN HAND. AND IF YOU LOOK AT COMPENSATIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS AND THERAPISTS, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, 150 BUCKS, YOU KNOW, AND SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 600 BUCKS A MONTH.
SO I WILL PIGGYBACK ON WHAT LEGISLATOR BARNESI SAID. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK BOTH SIDES WOULD BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GET BEHIND. AND I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS TAKING THE TIME TO AT LEAST LET US KNOW ABOUT THIS. AS YOU SEE, I THINK EVERY SINGLE LEGISLATOR THAT SPOKE HAS FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE EITHER HAD PARKINSON'S OR ARE DEALING WITH PARKINSON'S CURRENTLY. SO I APPRECIATE IT.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, BIGGER THAN, YOU KNOW, THE SMALL GROUP THAT WE ARE RIGHT NOW. SO THANK YOU.
IT'S NOT TOXINS. IT'S TOXINS FOR THE MALES.
INITIALLY. IT STARTED. DEAN IWANO WAS A BOXER. HE TRAINED BOXERS. HE STARTED IT WITH THAT IN MIND, BUT HE SOON LEARNED MUCH MORE, AND HE IS AMAZING. ALL THEY'RE ASKING FOR IS THIS VERY SIMPLE. THEY WANT TO MEET WITH THE PEOPLE FROM UNIVERA AND SHOW THEM WHAT THEY DO, AND THEY REFUSE TO MEET. THEY REFUSE TO MEET.
THEY REFUSE OR TALK ABOUT OR GIVE DIFFERENT EXPLANATIONS.
STEVE WATSON WROTE AN ARTICLE IN BUFFALO NEWS. HE ASKED THEM FOR A COMMENT. THEY REFUSED TO COMMENT. DAN, THEY DON'T.
THEY WANT TO HIDE. THEY WANT TO PUT THEIR HEAD IN THE SAND AND RUN AWAY.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN RUN AWAY FROM.
WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT, AND WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT NOW OR OTHER PEOPLE WILL FOLLOW SUIT.
NO. SO THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
AND I'M GLAD THAT LEGISLATOR VINYL REACHED OUT. SHE REACHED OUT TO HER, AND WE GOT YOU UP HERE BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT.
AS I TOLD YOU BEFORE, THIS ISN'T A PARTISAN ISSUE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T ASK YOUR AFFILIATION OR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN AND WHERE YOU LIVE AT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS ALL FORM, ALL OF US HERE. AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING IN. THANK YOU FOR BEING VULNERABLE AND SHARING YOUR STORIES. IT'S NOT EASY, BUT IT IS HELPFUL IN BRINGING LIGHT TO THIS. SO THANK YOU AGAIN.
MOTION TO ADJOURN LEGISLATIVE, SECOND TODARO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR AND GO BILLS.
[PUBLIC SAFETY]
DON'T RUSH ME. GOOD MORNING.THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE CLERK, PLEASE SEEK THE ROLL.
[01:00:01]
LESTER TODARO.SHOWING HERE. ALL MEMBERS PRESENT.
OKAY. ON PAGE ONE, ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR WILL BE TABLED UNDER MY AUTHORITY AS CHAIR.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS AN ACTUAL ITEM. CHRIS, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
GOOD MORNING. THIS ITEM 14E30S RELATED TO THE KINSHIP PROGRAM. WE'VE BEEN HERE ON A FEW OCCASIONS IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO TALK ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
IT'S THE FEDERALLY GRANT FUNDED PROGRAM THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE OSBORNE ASSOCIATION AND PEACE PRINCE OF WESTERN NEW YORK TO IDENTIFY AND ENROLL INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS IN.
THE WAY IT WORKS IS UPON RELEASE FROM.
FROM OUR JAILS WE SEEK, WE PROVIDE A STIPEND TO A HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD, A FAMILY MEMBER WHO IS A HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD, WHERE THIS INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL WILL LIVE. THE IDEA IS THAT STABLE HOUSING IS KEY WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL IS RELEASED FROM JAIL OR PRISON TO PREVENT THEM FROM RETURNING AND RECIDIVATING. THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS A CONTRACT WITH A POWER FEDERAL CREDIT UNION AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM. AND AGAIN, IT'S FEDERALLY GRANT FUNDED FROM THE DOJ. THE DOJ REQUIRES THAT THERE BE FINANCIAL LITERACY CLASSES FOR THOSE PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM. AND THAT'S WHAT EMPOWER FEDERAL CREDIT UNION WILL BE PROVIDING. THERE IS NO COST TO THE COUNTY.
AGAIN, IT'S PART OF THE GRANT FROM THE BJA. LIEUTENANT HOWELL IS BEHIND ME AND CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ON THE QUESTION.
GOT A MOTION APPROVED. I GOT A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
THANKS, GUYS. OKAY, MOVING ON TO PAGE TWO. ITEM NUMBER SIX WILL BE RECEIVED AND FILED UNDER MY AUTHORITY'S CHAIR.
ITEM 70 WILL BE TABLED UNDER MY AUTHORITY AS CHAIR.
ITEMS NINE THROUGH 12 ARE ACTIONABLE ITEMS. START WITH NUMBER NINE, WHICH IS COMMUNICATION 16E28.
GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. I'M HERE BEFORE THIS LEGISLATIVE BODY TO HOPEFULLY GET YOUR APPROVAL TO ACCEPT FISCAL YEAR 2526 STATE INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS GRANT. THEY'RE A COMBINED AWARD OF $2.7 MILLION.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE ROUTINELY RECEIVED BECAUSE OF BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND ALBANY AND OTHER AREAS. BUT THEY HAD TO ULTIMATELY COMBINE THE TWO GRANTS. BUT THIS IS UTILIZED FOR THE PURPOSES OF TOWER LEASES AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR CURRENT SYSTEM AND IS ALSO FOCUSED ON OUR FUTURE SYSTEM WHICH WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING OUT.
CENSUS IS COMBINING THE TWO GRANTS AND THERE'S ANY LOSS OF FUNDING OR IS THIS THE SAME AS.
THIS ROUGHLY AMOUNTS TO THE SAME AMOUNT. THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN INCREASE.
ERIE COUNTY BEING A LARGER COUNTY THIS TIME AROUND, DID RECEIVE A SLIGHTLY LARGER AMOUNT, BUT AGAIN IT'S CONSISTENT WITH OUR PREVIOUS GRANTS. IT COULD BE DOWN IN TWO YEARS OR COULD BE UP.
THEY'VE ALSO EXTENDED THE PERFORMANCE PERIOD OF THAT.
BUT WE CERTAINLY, OF COURSE, WITH THE EXPENSES OF COMMUNICATIONS, HAVE NO ISSUES SPENDING IT DOWN ON A TIMELY BASIS.
MOTION APPROVED. A PROPER SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
NUMBER 10, COMMUNICATION 16A 29. COMMISSIONER? YES. ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS COMBINED GRANT 25 AND 26. IT'S THE PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT PROGRAM. IT'S ESSENTIALLY A REIMBURSEMENT OF 911 FEES, ETC. THAT COMES BACK NOT IN WHOLE, BUT AT LEAST IN PART TO ERIE COUNTY. AND IT'S UTILIZED BY CENTRAL POLICE SERVICES. 911.
THIS BEING COMBINED, IT'S 479,000. I HAVE WITH ME MARLENE HOFFMAN FROM CENTRAL POLICE SERVICES.
IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS WITH REGARDS TO THEIR FORMULA, THIS TIMELINE. WE'RE THE FIDUCIARY AGENT WITH THE STATE.
SO IF MARLEY. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I WOULD ASK QUESTION. ADDRESS THEM TO MERLIN.
ANYBODY? QUESTIONS? THE MOTION APPROVED.
COMMISSIONER? YES. THIS IS THE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS GRANT. IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT THAT'S AWARDED BY THE STATE.
$16,000, BUT THAT'S 16,000 HAS TO BE DEDICATED TOWARDS TRAINING ENHANCEMENT FOR OUR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL TEAMS AND FIRST RESPONDERS.
TRADITIONALLY, WE UTILIZE THAT TO GET A CONSULTANT TO PUT TOGETHER A MAJOR EXERCISE SO THAT ALL OF THE HAZMAT TEAMS IN THE AREA, AS WELL AS ANY FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ASSIGNED WITH THEM, CAN GO
[01:05:01]
THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR TRAINING.COMMISSIONER, IS THERE A RENT AND COMMITMENT FROM THE CITY OF BUFFALO FIRE DEPARTMENT? OH, YEAH.
SO THERE'S THE MAJOR HAZMAT GRANT. SO IT'S BECOME A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AMONG ALL OF THE HAZMAT TEAMS. WE HAVE A PHENOMENAL WORKING RELATIONSHIP. SO OUR FIRE SAFETY DIVISION, MY STAFF THAT ARE WITHIN THE FIRE SAFETY DIVISION, AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, HAZMAT TECHNICIANS. SO THERE HAD BEEN QUITE A WHILE WHERE IT WAS SILOED. BUT THROUGH THESE GRANTS, WE'VE MANAGED TO PULL EVERYBODY TOGETHER. SO WHEN WE DO A TRAINING, BUFFALO FIRE IS AN ACTIVE PART.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THERE'S A MATCH WITH THIS PARTICULAR GRANT. SO WE UTILIZE THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OF BUFFALO FIRE, THEIR SALARIES AS THE MATCH FOR THIS, SO THAT THERE'S NO COUNTY MATCH TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. SO WE UTILIZE SALARIES IN THOSE CASES AND IT'S ALSO SOME OF THE SUBURBAN. ANYBODY THAT'S BY AFFECTED OFFICIALLY HAZMAT TEAM AS PART OF OUR GROUP.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AND THE MOTION APPROVED. PROPER SECOND.
OKAY, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, FREE STUFF. COMMISSIONER COEL AND THE FIRE SAFETY STAFF WORKING VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONSE COMMUNITIES. WE APPROACHED BY A COUPLE OF LOCAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE EITHER SHRINKING THEIR FLEET SIZE OR ARE ACTUALLY REPLACING THEIR FIRE APPARATUS. SO THE TWO OF THEM WOULD BE BOWMANSVILLE, AS WELL AS THE COLD AND FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DON'T HAVE AT OUR TRAINING FACILITIES IS AN ACTUAL PIECE OF APPARATUS, FIRE APPARATUS. AND THROUGH SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS AND WHATNOT, THEY VOTED AMONG THEIR BOARDS. BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE A $500,000 PIECE OF APPARATUS, BUT WHEN YOU GO TO TRADE IT IN, YOU'RE GETTING LITERALLY PENNIES ON THE DOLLARS. LESS THAN 5,000, 6,000. SO FOR THE GOOD OF THE TRAINING OF ALL OF THE FIREFIGHTERS, NOT JUST VOLUNTEERS, BUT ALSO BUFFALO FIREFIGHTERS, THEY'RE DONATING THESE TWO ENGINES SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE APPARATUS ON SITE. IT'LL SAVE A LOT OF WEAR AND TEAR ON APPARATUS TRAVELING FROM ORCHARD PARK OR EAST AMHERST OR WHEREVER IF YOU. IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO. AND IT WILL ALSO GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO DAYTIME TRAININGS WITHOUT HAVING TO IMPOSE ON A DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO DO THOSE TRAININGS AS WELL.
SO THEY'VE DONATED THESE. WE SEEK YOUR APPROVAL TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER COEL HAS WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH BUFFALO FIRE. THEY'RE PART OF THIS WHOLE THING, WHICH WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING TOGETHER AN ACTUAL MOU.
THEY FOCUS ON THE MECHANICAL ASPECTS BECAUSE. BECAUSE FIRE TRUCKS ARE. THEY NEED TO BE BABIED QUITE A BIT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT USED MUCH.
BUT WHEN THEY ARE, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THEM. SO IT'S A PARTNERSHIP AGAIN WITH BUFFALO, WITH THE VOLUNTEER AGENCIES, AND HOPEFULLY BREAKING DOWN ANY SILOS THAT STILL MIGHT EXIST.
PROPER? SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
NUMBER 13 WILL BE RECEIVED AND FILED ON MY AUTHORITY. SHARE PAGE NUMBER THREE. NUMBER 14, COMMUNICATIONS. 1633. CHRIS, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
THANK YOU, SIR. THIS IS A CONTRACT BETWEEN ERIE COUNTY AND KEYBANK CENTER TO CONTINUE FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO PROVIDE POLICE SERVICES AT THE ARENA DURING EVENTS.
THE PREVIOUS AGREEMENT WAS A FOUR YEAR AGREEMENT WHICH EXPIRED THIS SUMMER. SOME FINANCIAL DETAILS ON WHAT WE'VE NEGOTIATED. THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF THE AGREEMENT TO THE COUNTY WILL BE $585,000. THAT'S A MORE THAN 20% INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS 485. YEAR TWO, THE REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE 650.
AND YEAR THREE, THE REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE $720,000. AND THOSE ARE FLOORS.
THOSE REIMBURSEMENTS COVER THE COST OF. OF 88 ARENA EVENTS PER YEAR. THIS IS A NEW ASPECT OF THIS AGREEMENT WHICH DID NOT EXIST IN THE PREVIOUS AGREEMENT. ANY EVENT OVER 88 EVENTS THAT THE ARENA HAS BETWEEN JULY 1 AND JUNE 30, WE WILL RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL PRORATED REIMBURSEMENT. SO IN THE FIRST YEAR, FOR INSTANCE, IF WE DO 89 ARENA EVENTS IN ADDITION TO THE $585,000 FLOOR, THE COUNTY WILL BE REIMBURSED AN ADDITIONAL 600.
THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT WE COVERED AT THE ARENA OVER THE COURSE OF THE PREVIOUS DEAL. THE PREVIOUS AGREEMENT WAS 88.
OF COURSE, THE SABRES MADE THE PLAYOFFS. THERE WERE ADDITIONAL ARENA EVENTS,
[01:10:01]
SO THAT'S HOW THAT NUMBER GOT TO 96. IF WE HAVE A SIMILAR SITUATION NEXT YEAR, THIS YEAR, I SHOULD SAY, AS WE ALL HOPE.YES, SIR. THE REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE MUCH HIGHER THAN $585,000. ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF THE AGREEMENT ARE THE SAME AS THE PREVIOUS ONE. THE DEPLOYMENTS ARE THE SAME. IT'S AGAIN A 20% INCREASE MINIMUM IN THE REIMBURSEMENT IN YEAR ONE. ANOTHER 11% IN YEAR TWO, AND ANOTHER 10.8% IN YEAR TWO. THREE MINIMUMS. CHIEF DONOVAN AND I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, SIR.
FIRST OF ALL, GOOD JOB GETTING AN INCREASE.
USUALLY IT'S THE OPPOSITE. SO OBVIOUSLY NEGOTIATIONS WENT WELL WITH THE INCREASE. ARE YOU EXPECTING TO HAVE MORE SHERIFFS OUT THERE FOR CONTROL, OR IS IT GOING TO STAY THE SAME? THE SAME DEPLOYMENTS? AND THEN I KNOW YOU MENTIONED LAST YEAR, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO DO IT AGAIN AND WE'RE GOING TO GO FURTHER. WE COVERED ABOUT 96. YOU SAID IN THE AGREEMENTS FOR 88.
WITH THAT USUALLY IS LIKE 44 HOCKEY GAMES, THEN THE BANDITS AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER CONCERTS AND STUFF. ARE THEY EXPECTING TO INCREASE ANY OTHER EVENTS THAT THEY DIDN'T TELL YOU IN LIKE YEAR TWO? BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN OUR PRICE GOES UP, RIGHT? CAN I JUST CLARIFY THE.
LET'S SAY WE CONTINUE MAKING THE PLAYOFFS. THAT MEANS OUR NUMBERS WILL SHOOT UP. IS THERE GOING TO BE A NEGOTIATION YEAR AFTER YEAR BASED ON OUR NEEDS OR THEIR NEEDS? SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE PRORATED REIMBURSEMENT FOR EACH EVENT OVER 88 IN YEARS TWO AND THREE, AS WELL AS YEAR ONE.
AND DOES THAT GO UP TOO? SO RIGHT NOW FOR YEAR ONE WOULD BE $6,647.
WOULD IT BE GOING UP FOR YEAR TWO AND YEAR THREE? AND WHAT WOULD THAT NUMBER BE? YES, YEAR TWO IS 7,386 AND 36 CENTS. YEAR THREE IS $80,181.81. AND YOU GET THOSE NUMBERS BY. IF WE TAKE YEAR ONE, FOR INSTANCE, 585,000 DIVIDED BY 88 EVENTS COMES OUT TO 6,647. 72. THAT'S WHERE THE NUMBER COMES FROM.
IT'S NOT JUST BEING PULLED OUT OF THIN AIR.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION WOULD BE, FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY A CONCERT'S COMING.
IT'S ONE OF THE EVENTS OUT OF 88.
DO WE CHARGE EXTRA FOR THAT SITUATION OR IS IT JUST WHATEVER IS IN THE CONTRACT? WE DO NOT.
IF WE SEE A PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE BASED ON THE EVENT, WE MAY ADD ONE HOUR EVENT.
THANK YOU. CHAIR CHRIS. THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS, IS, IS THIS FUNDING TAKING CARE OF INTERIOR? OF COURSE, INTERIOR, BUT ALSO EXTERIOR COVERAGE? THAT'S CORRECT.
OKAY. BECAUSE I NOTICED SWAT IS OUT THERE AND. OKAY, THAT'S.
THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE.
[INAUDIBLE] THERE IS ONE OF THE SCHEDULES OF THE AGREEMENT WILL LAY OUT THE DEPLOYMENTS AND THE MINIMUM NUMBERS, WHICH IS NOT GOING TO BE ANY DIFFERENT THAN, THAN THE PREVIOUS AGREEMENT.
[INAUDIBLE] ANY QUESTIONS? GENE? [INAUDIBLE] IT DEPENDS ON THE NAME POWER.
WE NEGOTIATED THIS, WE GOT AN INCREASE IN THAT. WE AVERAGED OUT THE NUMBERS OF WHAT IT WAS AND THAT'S WHAT WE CAME UP WITH, THAT NUMBER FOR EACH YEAR.
[INAUDIBLE] I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS.
[INAUDIBLE] IF I CAN INTERJECT. SORRY, CHIEF, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WALMART HERE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE. I UNDERSTAND. WE DON'T HAVE A
[01:15:01]
NUMBER TO SHARE. WE KNOW IT'S HIGHER THAN WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE REIMBURSEMENT. I. I'D BE COMPLETELY GUESSING TO TRY TO ANSWER THAT NUMBER.[INAUDIBLE] WELL, WE TAKE. TOOK EVERYTHING INTO ACCOUNT. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE INCREASES IN MANPOWER FOR NEGOTIATED CONTRACTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO THAT'S WHERE I MEAN THE PERCENTAGE, I CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY, EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. I COULD TELL YOU IT'S HIGHER THAN IT WAS. AND THERE'S LAYERED SECURITY INSIDE THESE EVENTS.
RIGHT. SO WE'RE NOT SUPPLEMENTING SECURITY SERVICES, WHETHER AT THE BILLS OR THE SAVERS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. WE'RE THERE FOR MASS, MASS THREATS, AND ANY KIND OF COUNTERINTELLIGENCE TYPE OF SITUATIONS. SO THAT'S HOW LAW ENFORCEMENT DOES. HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO FIND OUT THE. WELL, WE HAVE TO JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBERS OF THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ON THE RATES. I MEAN IT CHANGES ALL THE TIME BASED ON THERE'S DIFFERENT, THERE'S DIFFERENT RATES OF SCALE RATES FOR EMPLOYEES.
RIGHT. I MEAN WE HAVE A 20 YEAR CAPTURE AND WE HAVE A TWO YEAR.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO CHANGE. IT DEPENDS. IT'S VERY FLUID. IT CHANGES EACH EVENT DEPENDING ON THE WAY THAT THE OVERTIME FULLER GETTING REIMBURSED FOR THE OVERTIME RATE INDIVIDUAL WAS THE AVERAGE.
AND CHIEF, IF, IF I MAY SAY BUFFALO POLICE WILL BE THERE AND I WILL JUST FROM MY HISTORY BEING AT CITY HALL, WE DIDN'T GET REIMBURSED. SO THAT WAS OUT OF THEIR BUDGET.
SO FOR US TO GET A REIMBURSEMENT I THINK IS A BIG DEAL.
[INAUDIBLE] WELL, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO LOOK AT NUMBERS WHEN IT COMES TO THESE THINGS. WHEN WE WERE PRINCE OF PARISH, NEGOTIATION LIKE THAT AND AN INCREASE OF 20% AND THE FIRST JURY PROBLEM WAS, WAS A VERY GOOD INCREASE BASED ON THAT. SO LIKE THE LEGISLATOR SAID, WE WORK WITH MULTIPLE AGENCIES HERE.
STATE POLICE IS THERE, BUFFALO POLICE AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING REIMBURSEMENT. SO I MEAN IT IS A LARGE SCALE EVENT, PROBABLY THE BIGGEST IN NEW YORK STATE AT ANY POINT IN TIME BECAUSE THERE'S SOME BAD DEVELOPMENTS.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, [INAUDIBLE] WE'RE TALKING 90 EVENTS A YEAR.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT IF WE'RE CREATING A CONTRACT THAT I DON'T THINK IT'S UNREASONABLE TO KNOW VIETNAM. I JUST WANT CLARIFICATION ON THIS. WE HAVE AN APP. WE HAVE NOT TRIED TO TAKE OVER THE TRAFFIC ON THE OUTSIDE. WE DO HAVE THE DOORSTEP, BUT NOT, WELL, THE OUTSIDE SECURITY. I MEAN THERE'S AN OUTSIDE BUFFALO HAS A PRESENCE THERE. SO DOES THAT.
SO THAT THE STATE POLICE COMES IN FOR MAJOR EVENTS. AND I THINK THAT'S A LAW.
CHIEF, IF I'M CORRECT, IS YOU'RE ASSISTING IN CERTAIN AREAS BUT IN REALITY THE OTHER AGENCIES ARE TAKING MORE OF A LEAD. AM I CORRECT WITH THAT? YES, THEY CAN EXTEND IT ON THAT STUFF. SO ANY QUESTIONS? CAN YOU TRY TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION BEFORE WE VOTE ON IN OUR SESSION? WE'LL LOOK AT IT.
THEN. MOTION. MOTION APPROVED.
PROPER SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
NUMBER 15, COMMUNICATION 1634.
THIS IS ANOTHER REIMBURSEMENT.
THIS IS RELATED TO OUR MOTOR UNITS ESCORT OF THE OFFICIATING CREW FOR NFL GAMES AT HIGHMARK STADIUM. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING FOR SOME TIME NOW. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW LONG, BUT WE DO PROVIDE AN ARMED ESCORT TO DEPUTIES OF THE OFFICIATING CREW FOR BILL'S GAMES. THE NFL APPROACHED US AND HAS OFFERED TO REIMBURSE US FOR THAT $100 AN HOUR PER DEPUTY. SO THAT'S $200 AN HOUR ON GAME DAYS.
OF COURSE, DEPENDING ON WHETHER, YOU KNOW, THE BILLS HAVE HOME PLAYOFF GAMES, THIS, AND THAT, THAT NUMBER WILL GO UP OR DOWN.
BUT IT'S ESTIMATED THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS THAT REIMBURSEMENT TO THE COUNTY WILL BE ABOUT 16 TO 20 THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE'RE NEEDED. THAT'S EXACTLY WHY OUR DEPUTIES ARE NEEDED
[01:20:02]
ON THIS DETAIL.REAL QUICK. IS THIS THE NORMAL RATE, LIKE THE HUNDRED DOLLARS AN HOUR? ARE WE GETTING WHAT WE SHOULD BE GETTING? THIS IS BASICALLY MY ASK.
I CAN ANSWER THAT. I THINK BASED ON THE INDUSTRY, BASED ON THE. WELL, ON THE INITIAL PROJECT FOR OUR AVERAGE OF THE DEPUTIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE THERE DOING THIS WORK WITH THE FRINGE INCLUDED IN THIS, WHICH WE THINK THAT.
WE'RE STILL ON TO THAT NUMBER COUNTY WIDE, SO IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE.
AND ANOTHER QUESTION JUST I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH IN THIS TOPIC, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME. SO WE'RE PICKING THEM UP FROM THE AIRPORT, WE'RE DROPPING THEM OFF TO THE STADIUM, AND THEN THAT IS IT.
JUST TO CORRECT YOU, WE PICKED THEM UP FROM THEIR HOTEL, OKAY.
SO TODAY WE WILL PICK THE CREW UP. I WILL NOT DISCLOSE THE HOTEL FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
WE'LL PICK THEM UP AT THEIR HOTEL IN A FEW HOURS. WE'LL ESCORT THEM TO THE STADIUM AFTER THE GAME. WE WILL TAKE THEM FROM THE STADIUM TO THE AIRPORT.
OKAY, SO BASICALLY WE'RE HANDLING GROUND TRANSPORTATION.
OKAY, THAT WAS JUST MY QUESTION. THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MOTION APPROVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
MOTION CARRIES. 16 WILL BE RECEIVED AND FILED IN MY AUTHORITY'S CHAIR.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? A PROPER MOTION? PROPER SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
WE STAND ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.
[ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT]
CALL MEETING TO ORDER.ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING NUMBER 12, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026. CLERK, TAKE THE ROLL.
CHAIR. MYERS IS ABSENT AS EX OFFICIO MEMBER. ALL PRESENT.
THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO TABLE ITEM 1 THROUGH 10 UNDER MY AUTHORITY AS CHAIR.
ITEM 11 IS THE NFTA ITEM WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE AND FILE.
THAT'S REGARDING CAPITAL REPORTS AND THEN ITEM 16 WILL ALSO BE RECEIVED AND FILED.
THAT IS A LETTER UPDATING US ON THE PROJECT. ITEMS 12 THROUGH 15 ARE ACTIONABLE.
ITEM 12 IS COMMUNICATION 16E12.
WE HAVE HERE NICOLE TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM. NICOLE, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY. I AM HERE TO SEEK YOUR APPROVAL FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS TO AUTHORIZE AN EXECUTION OF AN EASEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN OF AMHERST FOR A WATERLINE REPLACEMENT AT WILLOWDALE PARK. THE TOWN OF AMHERST IS SEEKING TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION EASEMENT AND PERMANENT MAINTENANCE EASEMENT FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS WATER LINE WHICH IS 15FT WIDE.
AND IT WILL ALLOW THE TOWN OF AMHERST TO CONSTRUCT THE WATER LINE WHICH WOULD PROVIDE A NEW MAINLINE INTO THE COURSE TO SERVICE IRRIGATION RESTROOMS, PUMP HOUSE MAINTENANCE, AND THE CLUBHOUSE. THE PROPOSED EASEMENT WAS EVALUATED AND APPROVED BY ARC AS WELL AS BY THE AMHERST TOWN BOARD. WE ARE WORKING WITH THE ERIE COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SOIL MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED FOR THIS PARCEL.
ON THE QUESTION, I HAVE A MOTION APPROVED BY LEGISLATIVE VINAL TALKING ABOUT LEGISLATOR DUPREE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
THIS IS REGARDING SUNY. WE HAVE TRACY HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. TRACY, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
THANK YOU, CHAIR AND GOOD MORNING, LEGISLATORS. I'M HERE BEFORE THIS HONORABLE BODY SEEKING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE SUNY ERIE ROOF REPLACEMENT AND EXTERIOR WATERPROOF AND TERM AGREEMENT.
ORIGINAL FUNDING OF $200,000 WAS APPROVED IN 2025 AFTER BALANCE, BINA D. DONATO AND WATTS WERE SELECTED THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS. THE MAJORITY OF THAT FUNDING WAS USED FOR THE PROFESSIONAL DESIGN SERVICES NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE KITTINGER ROOF REPLACEMENT. ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS NEEDED FOR PROFESSIONAL DESIGN SERVICES FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE 31 YEAR OLD ROOFING SYSTEM AT THE NOONAN BUILDING AT NORTH CAMPUS. I'M REQUESTING AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $72,830 WHICH WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR 50% REIMBURSEMENT FROM NEW YORK STATE.
ON THE QUESTION, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE BY LEGISLATIVE VINYL. SECOND BY LEGISLATOR DUPRE. ALL IN FAVOR? ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 14, COMMUNICATION 16E23. THIS IS FOR THE COUNTY'S HEALTH LAB.
IN THIS RESOLUTION, I'M REQUESTING AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT WITH THE
[01:25:01]
LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER ON THE ERIE COUNTY HEALTH LAB WATER SERVICE UPGRADE PROJECT.SCOPE OF WORK WILL INCLUDE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL WATER SUPPLY LINE AND VALVES, STORAGE TANKS, BOOSTER PUMPS, AND SOME ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
I'M SEEKING AUTHORIZATION TO AWARD THIS WORK TO MKS PLUMBING IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $243,600, WHICH INCLUDES A $40,600 CONSTRUCTION. CONSTRUCTION CONTINGENCY.
ON THE QUESTION I HAVE. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE BY LEGISLATOR TO DUPRE.
BY LEGISLATOR TODARO. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ITEM 15, COMMUNICATION 16, E24.
TRACY AGAIN. THIS IS YOUR SHOW TODAY.
TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM IN THIS RESOLUTION, I'M REQUESTING AUTHORIZATION TO INCREASE THE CONTINGENCY FUNDING FOR THE ERIE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE PHASE 7 PROJECT. THIS IS THE FINAL PHASE OF THE PROJECT. WE FOUND OUT AFTER THE PERIMETER FRAMING, THE PANELING WAS INSTALLED THAT SOME ADDITIONAL FRAMEWORK WAS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THIS AND MAKE THE BUILDING WATERTIGHT.
AND TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT, WE NEED TO INCREASE THE FUNDING BY $14,342.09.
IN THIS LONG TERM, PHASE SEVEN, SEVEN PHASE PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETE.
WE ONLY NEEDED THE NINE CENTS, HUH? THAT'S THE EXACT AMOUNT NEEDED.
DON'T ASK FOR MORE THAN I NEED.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? BY LEGISLATOR DUPREE? SECONDED BY LEGISLATOR TODARO. ALL IN FAVOR? ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRY. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? THANK YOU.
ALL IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
[ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT]
MEETING NUMBER 13. CLERK, PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL.ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO THROUGH THIS. ITEMS 1 THROUGH 9 AND 17 ARE TABLE. ITEMS 10 THROUGH 15 ARE ACTIONABLE.
ITEM 16, 16, 18, THROUGH 19 ARE RECEIVED AND FILED ONTO THE ACTUAL ITEMS. ITEM NUMBER 10, VILLAGE OF EAST AURORA. AND I THINK WE HAVE MARK BROWNTREE HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS. MARK, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
YES. THANK YOU. MR. CHAIRMAN, THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU SEEKS TO CHANGE THE SCOPE OF A MUNICIPAL PLANNING GRANT FROM SENIOR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY STUDY TO.
TO A UPDATE OF THE VILLAGE'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. THE VILLAGE'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE OLDEST IN ERIE COUNTY, SO IT'S MUCH NEEDED TO UPDATE IT.
ANY QUESTIONS? WE GOT A MOTION.
I HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
WAS THERE A QUESTION OVER HERE THAT I MISSED? NO. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S MOVE HERE, ITEM 11, THE VILLAGE OF BELIZE. I'LL MARK IT TO YOU AGAIN. SURE.
YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU ON NUMBER 11. IT IS A MOTION FOR THE PROPERTY TRANSFER FROM THE COUNTY TO THE VILLAGE OF BLAISDELL.
THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN VIEWED AS BY THE LAND ADVISORY REVIEW COMMITTEE AND THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT IT BE DECLARED SURPLUS AND AS A RESULT TURNED OVER TO THE VILLAGE FOR BOTH PASSIVE AND ACTIVE PARK USE AS WELL AS FOR OTHER USES THAT THE VILLAGE MAY DETERMINE. IT'S BEEN PART OF THE REVIEW PROCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH FOR LAND THAT THE COUNTY OWNS, THE HUNDREDS OF PARCELS THAT WE HAVE THAT THE COUNTY BASICALLY HAS NO KNOWN USE FOR. AND WE WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO USAGE AS A MORE. MORE SUITING ON THE TAX RULES. I WOULD TURN OVER TO COMMISSIONER DAN CASTLE. MARK ROUNDTREE IS ALSO HERE. AND WE ALSO HAVE JOE REYNOLDS, ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY WHO'S WITH THE REAL ESTATE DIVISION THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED.
BUT I DID NOT KNOW IF COMMISSIONER CASTLE HAD ANYTHING FURTHER THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD ON THIS SPECIFIC ONE.
WELL, I GUESS MY THOUGHT WAS REALLY JUST ON THIS ONE AND THE NEXT ONE.
IT'S OUR ONGOING EFFORT TO DISPOSE OF PARCELS THAT HAVE BY ONE WAY OR ANOTHER COME INTO COUNTY OWNERSHIP, THAT DON'T RELY. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY RELEVANCE TO ONGOING COUNTY FUNCTIONS.
THERE'S NO NEED. SO THEY'RE SURPLUS. THIS IS PROPERTY THAT IS ACTUALLY. THE VILLAGE HAS AN ACCESS ROAD ACROSS THIS PROPERTY INTO THEIR PARK. SO IT'S REALLY JUST HANDING IT BACK TO THE VILLAGE SO THAT THEY CAN MAINTAIN THE ACCESS TO THEIR PARK.
[01:30:01]
GOOD.WE'RE ALL GOOD. OKAY, QUESTIONS.
IS THIS A VACANT LOT? YES. SO IT'S. PRESENTLY.
SO. SO PART OF IT, THE NORTHERN PART IS ON IT'S ONE PARCEL. THE NORTH SIDE IS THE. IT'S VACANT ENTRANCE TO FIREMAN'S PARK.
AND THEN THE SOUTH SIDE IS CONTAINED WITHIN AN EXISTING BUSINESS.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NEED A MOTION. I HAVE ONE MOTION. I HAVE A SECOND. BAY, FRANK. ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, ITEM 12, PROPERTY TRANSFER. ALL RIGHT, SO WHO'S SPEAKING? BECAUSE I GOT EVERYBODY.
I'LL GO AHEAD, KEY IT UP AND WE MAY HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION BASED ON THAT. BUT THESE. THIS MOTION IS THE SECOND ONE OF THE TWO IN THIS CASE. THERE ARE EIGHT PARCELS UP FOR CONSIDERATION THAT THE LAND ADVISORY REVIEW COMMITTEE ONCE AGAIN HAS RECOMMENDED.
THAT THEY BE DECLARED SURPLUS.
THERE HAVE BEEN ACTIVE NEGOTIATIONS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE CHIEFLY THROUGH JOE REYNOLDS IN DEALING WITH ADJOINING NEIGHBORS FOR THE MOST PART IN TRYING TO RETURN THESE PROPERTIES TO PRODUCTIVE USE ON THE TAX ROLLS A LOT OF THEM HAVE WHETHER THEY BE LANDLOCKED OR ADJOINING PARCELS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE NOT BE SUITABLE TO BE BUILT UPON.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE TWO PARCELS LISTED HERE IN WEST SENECA THAT ESSENTIALLY A DRAINAGE DITCH BISECTS BOTH OF THEM DIAGONALLY AND THEY CAN'T BE BUILT UPON. SO THE ADJOINING NEIGHBOR IS LOOKING TO PURCHASE THEM. THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO PUT BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE FOR THESE PROPERTIES ONCE AGAIN TO RETURN TO A PRODUCTIVE USE ON THE TAX RULES.
QUICK QUESTION. WHEN IT'S THE ONLY BENEFIT IS TO THE ADJOINING NEIGHBOR, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE PUBLIC FOR AN AUCTION OR A PRICE IN THESE SITUATIONS. THEY HAVE BEEN REVIEWED. THEY WERE IF I RECALL CORRECTLY BECAUSE THESE PARCELS WERE BATCH MANY DECADES AGO ACQUIRED BY THE COUNTY THROUGH THE IN REM. THIS WAS BACK WHEN THE COUNTY ACQUIRED THE TITLE TO THEM. THEY DO NOT THEN HAVE TO GO AGAIN THROUGH THE IN REM PROCESS AND BE AUCTIONED OFF.
ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? NO.
ANY QUESTIONS? LEGISLATOR I JUST HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WAS CONTACTED BY SOME OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IN CONCORD ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS A PARCEL OF PROPERTY THAT WAS AUCTIONED OFF THAT BUTTS UP TO THEIR SENIOR CENTER.
IF I MAY, WHICH AUCTION WAS IT? COULDN'T TELL YOU. IT WAS SOMETIME IN AUGUST.
SO THIS RECENT TAX FORECLOSURE AUCTION, IT MUST HAVE BEEN OKAY. AND I KNOW THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY REACHED OUT TO ME AND THEY HAD QUESTIONS.
ARE YOU CONTACTING THE TOWNS TO LET THEM KNOW THE EVERY TIME EVERY MUNICIPAL BODY THAT HAS A PROPERTY THAT COMES UP BEFORE THE AUCTION TAKES PLACE.
SO AS WE ARE REVIEWING ALL THE PARCELS EVERY WHETHER IT BE THE ASSESSOR, THE BUILDING INSPECTOR, DEPENDING ON WHO THAT MUNICIPALITY HAS INDICATED SHOULD RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION TO REVIEW THE PARCELS THAT MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE IN REMOTE. THEY DO RECEIVE A COPY OF IT. WHETHER THEY REVIEW THEM, THAT'S. THAT'S UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL MUNICIPALITY.
BUT THAT'S PART OF THE INTERIM TAX FORECLOSURE PROCESS.
YES, BUT THERE'S NO PROCESS WHERE THE TOWN HAS TO LIKE APPROVE ANYTHING AND SAY LIKE YES FOR BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS ONE THING THEY WERE LOOKING AT THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS UP FOR SALE. IT COULD HAVE FALLEN THROUGH. I'M NOT GOING TO BLAME ANYBODY. THEY YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT IT IS.
BUT I KNOW THEY WERE LOOKING AT THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY BECAUSE THEY NEED TO MOVE THEIR HIGHWAY BAR OR BUILD A NEW ONE? I GUESS SO.
I COULDN'T EVEN TELL YOU IF IT WAS CONTACTED. I COULDN'T EVEN TELL YOU IF THAT PARCEL, AS WE STAND HERE TODAY, WHETHER THAT PARCEL WAS STRUCK DOWN AT THE AUCTION. DID THEY INDICATE TO YOU THAT IT DID SELL AT THE AUCTION OR NOT? OKAY.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S THEN 30 DAYS TO REVIEW IT. SO MAYBE THAT COULD BE A CONVERSATION IF THEY CAN REACH OUT TO EITHER MY OFFICE AND.
OR OUTSIDE COUNSEL AND WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
ALL SET? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A MOTION.
I HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ALL RIGHT, TO ITEM 13, REFRIGERANT RECOVERY PROGRAM.
COMMISSIONER BONNEY, I BELIEVE YOU'RE ON THE FLOOR.
GOOD MORNING. I'M HERE TO REQUEST AUTHORIZATION OF A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
[01:35:02]
CONSERVATION FOR ALMOST $2 MILLION FOR A REFRIGERANT RECOVERY GRANT, WHICH WE WERE AWARDED EARLIER THIS YEAR. I'M ALSO REQUESTING AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH THE BUDGET AND FUND TWO POSITIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT. THOSE POSITIONS WILL NOT CONTINUE BEYOND THE LIFE OF THIS GRANT. AND THE INITIATIVE WILL REALLY REDUCE CLIMATE POLLUTION BECAUSE THESE REFRIGERANTS ARE REALLY POTENT GREENHOUSE GASES. THERE'S ALSO A MINIMAL IMPACT ON THE COUNTY BUDGET, JUST THE COST OF RUNNING THE COMPUTERS FOR THESE STAFF.OKAY, EXPLAIN TO ME. I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
SO ARE WE RECOVERING REFRIGERANT OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDINGS WE OWN? IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
FROM THINGS LIKE AIR CONDITIONERS AND REFRIGERATORS.
SO WE HAVE A PROGRAM THEN WHERE RESIDENTS CAN BRING THE REFRIGERANT TO YOU OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? IT'S GOING TO BE A MULTI PRONGED APPROACH.
SO THERE WILL BE COLLECTIONS WHERE PEOPLE CAN BRING THEIR OLD AIR CONDITIONERS TO US.
THERE WILL ALSO BE SOME WORK WITH 311 THROUGH THE CITY OF BUFFALO. AND WE'LL BE USING A MOVIE, MUCH AS WE DID FOR ELECTRONICS, WITH TONAWANDA KOCH MONEY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. AND THOSE WILL BE THE MAIN THREE APPROACHES.
SO IT'S A DROP OFF POINT THAT MAYBE YOU COULD HAVE SOME TRANSPORTATION.
SO IT'S A FIVE YEAR GRANT, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THEN IN THE FIVE YEARS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TWO. TWO POSITIONS WHO ARE GOING TO BE VERY MUCH RUNNING THE PROGRAM. AND THEN I GUESS FOR THE OUTREACH PORTION FOR THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PROGRAM EXISTS WHERE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG DEAL.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? HOW ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT. I KNOW 311 PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO CALL IN FOR THAT PART.
BUT CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE OTHER PARTNERSHIPS? BECAUSE I KNOW THE CITY OF BUFFALO, BUT I'M ASSUMING OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
SO WE DO HAVE MONEY BUDGETED FOR A MARKETING CAMPAIGN AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL BE UTILIZING.
WE HAVEN'T DECIDED WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE YET, IF IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA ONLY OR IF THERE WILL BE BILLBOARDS OR THINGS.
BUT THERE'S APPROXIMATELY $50,000 PUT ASIDE FOR THAT. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE OTHER MUNICIPALITY MUNICIPALITIES THROUGH THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARDS AND THEY WERE IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM IN THAT WAY.
ONLY ASK I WOULD HAVE IS WHEN THE PROGRAM IS UP AND RUNNING AND YOU GUYS ARE PROMOTING EVENTS OR DROP OFFS.
IF YOU DON'T MIND SENDING FLYERS OR INFORMATION TO US SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS KNOW. I KNOW A LOT OF US HAVE DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AND NEWSLETTERS.
SO THAT'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. THANK YOU.
HI BONNIE, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE.
FIRST OF ALL, FOR THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND CONTRACTS, THERE'S $914,898 FROM THIS GRANT BEING BUDGETED FOR THOSE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. WHAT WOULD THAT ENTAIL? NO PROBLEM.
SO WE HAVE A BALANCE 700,000 PUT ASIDE FOR MOVERS.
SO THAT INCLUDES THE MOVERS THAT WOULD GO INTO HOMES LIKE I DESCRIBED A LITTLE BIT AGO, AS WELL AS AT THE COLLECTION EVENTS.
BECAUSE UNLIKE OUR HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE EVENTS WHERE WE NEED TO HAVE A CHEMIST THERE AND PEOPLE TO SORT AND PACKAGE THINGS, WE REALLY JUST NEED A MOVER TO TAKE THESE ITEMS TO METAL SCRAPPING THAT WE'LL WORK WITH.
SO THAT'S THE MAIN BUDGET IS THAT $700,000 FOR THAT ITEM AND THEN WE HAVE TO ALSO PAY FOR THE REFRIGERANT REMOVAL SO THAT WE HAVE BUDGETED $215,000.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT FOR THE REMOVAL VERSUS LIKE THE PHYSICALLY REMOVING THE.
SO YOU HAVE TO DRAIN THE REFRIGERANT OUT OF THE ITEMS AND CAPTURE IT AND YOU NEED A SEPARATE CONTRACT FOR THAT. RIGHT NOW THE METAL SCRAPPERS DON'T DO THAT AT ALL, WHICH IS PART OF THE PROBLEM. SO PEOPLE, WHEN THEY WANT TO BRING THE REFRIGERATORS TO THE SCRAPPERS, THEY DRAIN IT AND LET IT INTO THE ENVIRONMENT. SO THIS IS PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS WITH THIS PROGRAM.
WHAT IS THE LIABILITY OF THE COUNTY FOR SENDING MOVERS INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES.
OKAY. SO THAT WOULD FALL TO THE MOVERS. I MEAN, I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF THE COUNTY FUNDING MOVERS GOING INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES. I THINK THAT'S A CONCERN. WE ALSO HAVE $8,000 BUDGETED FOR OUT OF AREA TRAVEL. WHAT WOULD THAT BE FOR? THAT'S FOR CONFERENCES
[01:40:01]
FOR THE STAFF THAT ARE WORKING ON THE PROJECT. CEC REQUIRES PRESENTATIONS AT STATEWIDE CONFERENCES ON THESE PROJECTS.SO OVER FIVE YEARS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT.
AND I UNDERSTAND WE'RE ALWAYS TOLD THAT NEW JOBS ARE CREATED AND THEN THEY'RE ELIMINATED, AND I FIND THAT THAT RARELY ACTUALLY HAPPENS.
THEY USUALLY GET SHUFFLED AROUND AND MOVED AROUND. SO CREATING THESE TWO NEW JOBS, I DON'T THINK IS A GREAT THING TO DO. AND THERE IS A COST TO THE COUNTY. I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR. I KNOW THIS IS A GRANT COMING FROM THE STATE, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE COUNTY MATCH IS $471,000.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. THAT'S MATCHED WITH IN KIND SERVICES. SO THE CURRENT STAFF.
HOW CAN WE MATCH WITH IN KIND SERVICES? HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO WE KEEP TRACK OF THE STAFFING TIME THAT THE PEOPLE WORK ON THE GRANT. SO PEOPLE THAT ARE PAID THROUGH THE COUNTY, SUCH AS MYSELF, WHEN I DO ADMINISTRATIVE WORK ON THE STAFF, I KEEP A TIMESHEET, AND THAT'S TRACKED DURING THE COURSE OF THE FIVE YEARS.
HAVE WE IDENTIFIED THAT WE HAVE A BIG REFRIGERATOR PROBLEM IN ERIE COUNTY? YES. WE'VE WORKED WITH THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARDS OF ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND IT IS A PROBLEM THAT THEY'RE HAVING.
IN FACT, THE AIR CONDITIONING UNITS ARE MORE PROBLEMATIC AS FAR AS THE REFRIGERANTS THAN REFRIGERATORS, SO. WHICH IS GOOD NEWS BECAUSE THEY'RE EASIER TO MOVE.
ALL SET. ANY OTHER SHOULD YOU HAVE.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM RIGHT NOW, BUT I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, WHY IS IT, YOU KNOW, THE SCRAPPERS ARE SUPPOSEDLY NOT DOING THE PROPER WASTE, BUT ISN'T THAT ILLEGAL, WHAT THE SCRAPPERS ARE DOING, PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING TO PICK UP THE THINGS AT THE CURB AND LETTING THE REFRIGERANT LOOSE? YEAH, I ASSUME THAT'S ILLEGAL.
IT'S ONLY LEGAL. IT'S ONLY ILLEGAL TO RELEASE THE GAS.
IT'S NOT LEGAL TO PICK UP THE SCRAP.
YEAH, RIGHT. NO, BUT I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT IS ILLEGAL TO PICK UP THE SCRAP BECAUSE THE.
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, COMMISSIONER.
WELL, IN THERE, YOU KIND OF TOUCH ON IT RIGHT THERE.
LIKE IS, IS THERE ANY ENFORCEMENT RIGHT NOW? AND IF NOT, WHY, WHOSE JOB WOULD IT BE? AS FAR AS I THINK IT WOULD BE DEC'S JOB TO ENFORCE THAT.
AND THEY'RE THE ONES FUNDING THIS PROGRAM. I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO A NON REGULATORY WAY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. AND REALLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE REPLICATED THROUGHOUT THE STATE DEPENDING ON WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO SHOW WITH THE GRANT. SO IT MIGHT INFORM REGULATIONS OR PROGRAMMING.
AND THEN YOU HAD SAID THAT THE JOBS WILL NOT CONTINUE PAST THE GRANT THIS YEAR. WHEN WE DID THE BUDGET, IT WAS ORIGINALLY FIVE, THEN SIX, THEN SEVEN POSITIONS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY GRANT FUNDED AND THEN SWITCHED OVER TO FULL TIME POSITIONS WHEN GRANTS ENDED. HOW COULD, WITH THE COUNTY BUDGET, HOW CAN YOU BE CONFIDENT THAT THEY WON'T CONTINUE IF THE GRANT MONEY DRIES UP? THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN OUR DEPARTMENT AND IT'S NEVER HAPPENED IN MY DIVISION.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING COUNTY WIDE IT GREW.
I THINK THAT BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE TIME THERE WOULDN'T BE A COUNTY POSITION FOR THEM TO GO INTO. SO THERE WOULDN'T BE A COUNTY LINE POSITION. THIS WOULD BE A B BOOK.
WELL, THEY WERE CREATED THE LAST TIME AROUND FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS. AGAIN, THERE WAS ORIGINALLY FIVE, ENDED UP AT SEVEN THIS YEAR.
WELL, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THOSE POSITIONS, BUT I KNOW WE WOULDN'T HAVE POSITION FOR THAT PERSON. SO WHAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES IS THE PEOPLE, STAFF AND BONNIE STAFF ARE GOOD ABOUT THIS. THEY'RE GRANT FUNDED, THEY KNOW THEIR GRANT EXPIRES AT THE END OF NEXT YEAR. THEY START LOOKING FOR ANOTHER GRANT TO APPLY TO. SO SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE GRANTS THAT THE STAFF AND WE'VE APPLIED TO WOULD GET IT. SO THEN THEY MOVE ON TO A DIFFERENT POSITION.
SO DO YOU ALREADY HAVE AN IDEA OF PERSONNEL FOR THESE? THEN WE'RE PUTTING EXISTING STAFF INTO THIS POSITION.
ARE YOU ALSO OKAY, CHAIR BONNIE. SO WHEN WE ACCUMULATE THESE VARIOUS FREON GASES, WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE TANKS AT THAT POINT? IS THERE A HANDOFF TO THE STATE? I THINK THAT THEY'RE MANAGED SO THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY RECYCLED AND REUSED. THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. SO IN THIS SCENARIO, WE WOULD TAKE THESE APPLIANCES TO A METAL SCRAPPER WHO WOULD HOLD THEM AND STAGE THEM. WE WOULD BRING IN THE CONTRACTOR TO REMOVE THE REFRIGERANT THAT WOULD BE CONTAINED. AND THEN DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF REFRIGERANT, I GUESS IT IS, IT MIGHT BE RECYCLED INSTEAD OF RELEASED TO THE ATMOSPHERE. OTHERWISE THEY HAVE A WEIGHT.
YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THIS. IT'S JUST AT THE END OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE GASES PER POUND. THEY COULD BE $600 A POUND. R12,
[01:45:03]
R134. WHEN 134 REPLACED R12, IT WAS VERY HARD TO GET THE R12. IT WAS $600 A POUND. AND NOW THE NEW GASES ARE FLAMMABLE. AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING, WHERE IS THAT GOING? WHO IS.IT'S A CONTRACTOR THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT DEALS WITH THIS SO I CAN GET YOU MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW THAT BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW. SOMEBODY'S GOING TO GET, YOU KNOW, GASES THAT ARE VALUABLE.
YES. AND WE'LL BE PAYING FOR THEM TO GET THEM OUT.
BUT, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE THE ONES THAT ARE.
WE'RE SAVING THE. I, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GOING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT AT THE END OF THE, AT THE END OF THE HANDLING OF THE GASES, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE SOMEBODY'S NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM AND PUTTING IN THEIR POCKET WE WILL BE GOING OUT FOR RFP FOR THAT SERVICE OR TO BID ONE OF THE TWO. SO, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU GUYS TO LOOK AT THAT.
I JUST WANT TO FOLLOW THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHAIN. THAT'S ALL.
THAT'S AN INTERESTING POINT, THOUGH.
BUT IF THE CONTRACTOR BIDS ON AND HE DOESN'T CHARGE A FEE AND IN TURN GETS TO KEEP THE GAS, IT SHOULD BE A FREE SERVICE TO US. TO YOUR POINT, IT SHOULD BE.
THERE SHOULDN'T BE A COST TO US FROM THE CONTRACTOR BECAUSE IF HE'S HOLDING THE GAS, THE GAS HAS A VALUE.
TO YOUR POINT, ARE YOU ALL SET? I'M ALL SET FOR IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF THAT'S WHAT THE RESULT WAS.
LIKE TIRES WERE, AND PEOPLE NEED TO SAFELY DISPOSE OF THEM AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO, SO. I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
ALL GOOD. I NEED A MOTION. I HAVE A MOTION. I HAVE A SECOND LEGISLATOR, GILMORE. ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU, BONNIE.
ALL RIGHT, ITEM 14, WE HAVE JOE FIGLE. JOE, WHAT DO YOU HAVE FOR US HERE IN THIS ASSESSMENT ROLE? GOOD AFTERNOON.
ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, THE SEWER DISTRICTS UNDER COUNTY LAW MUST HOLD.
ACTUALLY, THE LEGISLATURE HOLDS A ASSESSMENT ROLL PUBLIC HEARING. SO WE NEED TO CALL FOR THAT HEARING AND THEN PUBLISH IT IN THE NEWSPAPERS. WORK WITH THE CLERK TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S IN THE VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS.
AND WE'RE PROPOSING TO HAVE THE ASSESSMENT ROLL PUBLIC HEARING ON NOVEMBER 4TH AT 2PM OKAY.
WE HAVE QUESTIONS I HAVE A MOTION. I HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU, JOEL. WE'RE STICKING WITH YOU, I BELIEVE. ITEM 14.
WE HAD A. WE HAD A SMALL PROJECT AT OUR BIG SISTER CREEK TREATMENT PLANT WHERE QUACKENBUSH COMPLETED CONTRACT NUMBER 103 TO OUR SATISFACTION. THERE'S A DECREASE. AND OVERALL, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO USE THE CONTINGENCY MONIES SO REQUESTING AUTHORIZATION TO CLOSE IT OUT SOUNDS GOOD.
I HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU, JOE. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
YOU ARE DISMISSED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.