PRESENT: Chair: Ryan. Members: Carsky, Kaplowitz, Mosiello, Swanson, and Wishnie. Staff: Vita.

ALSO PRESENT: Jay Hashmall, Deputy county Executive; Katie Tooher, Budget Director; William Randolph, County Executive Liaison; Robert Boland, Budget Analyst-BOL; George Hosey, Chairman-CBAC.

Mr. Ryan called the meeting to order at 9:15 a.m.

The minutes of May 3^rd and May 10^th, were approved on the motion of Legislator Mosiello, seconded by Legislator Wishnie by a 6-0 vote.

Item A: Budget Transfer of funds in the Fire Services Budget. Ms. Tooher explained that the County entered into a short-term contract with Henry Campbell Associates in February 1999 for $20,000. The Administration recommended to keep Mr. Campbell through the balance of the year. This action is the result of the $50,000 transfer of funds from the Fire Services regular salaries account to their consultant services account. This is a savings in the contractual savings account because the CAD system was originally budgeted in contractual services and because the County never accepted delivery of the system because of its problems, there is no maintenance contract.

Several questions were raised as to the actual salary Campbell Associates would receive. Ms. Tooher said the short-term contract was $20,000 and what was put over in A&C would be $76,000 that would take the balance of the year, making the total of $96,000. She clarified that this is only a consultant fee and the County is not liable for any pension benefits and any other retirement contributions.

Mr. Mosiello asked the status of the suspended position that Mr. Campbell is filling in for. Mr. Hashmall explained that Mr. Groden was suspended with pay and will continue to receive the same salary before he was suspended. The County has no choice to pay the extra salary due to the pending lawsuit in Supreme Court and pending further direction of the Task Force’s recommendations for the future.

Mrs. Swanson relayed some issues of concern relayed to her from other people (no names mentioned) that this Committee and the Administration should know about and are not being addressed. Some alleged problems can move along faster than they are, as well as underlying problems that have not been responded to.

Mr. Hashmall said he is aware of these problems, he makes surprise visits from time to time. Mr. Campbell was hired to remedy all the problems at Fire Services all at one time. There are many problems that take time to uncover and remedy and they being addressed as quickly as possible. This is the main reason for the salary and contract renewal and Mr. Hashmall reiterated that he made a statement at the Yorktown Community meeting, that the County has hire three additional dispatchers, who have gone through a very long training period before they actually get into a rotation schedule.

The three dispatchers are presently in an extensive and in-depth training session at Dutchess County Fire Services and are now apprentices with a seasoned team and within three months they will be in rotation.

Mr. Hashmall receives constant feedback from Messrs. Ryan and Wishnie from the fire community.

Mr. Hashmall said before removing problems, you need to put a structure in place and there is a need to have trained personnel in order to change the system. The money sounds astronomical but Chef Campbell is highly qualified with his management and personnel techniques and there was no other that came as qualified.

Mr. Hashmall said within the next few weeks, the Task Force will be making their recommendations to the Administration and there will be legislative changes before the Board’s approval.

Mr. Wishnie said there are major issues to be resolved in fire services and money should not be compared with loss of life and destruction. The attitude about 60 Control has transferred since Mr. Campbell came on board and things are moving in the right direction. He said when the Committee and the Board received the Task Force’s report, it will be favorable.

Mr. Ryan said the issues brought to the table by Mrs. Swanson were very important and as a legislative body should look anxiously to Chief Campbell’s consultant expertise and his recommendations to the Administration and should be considered and acted upon. He welcomes any steps taken to bring a good structure in place and remove any further problem to achieve the Board’s goals.

On the motion of Legislator Wishnie, Item A is referred to the Committee on Budget & Appropriations to approve the Resolution transferring $50,000 in the Fire Service Budget. Seconded by Legislator Kaplowitz, the motion carried 6-0.

Item E: Mr. Hashmall explained the Act is a routine, periodic approval for a multi-County EMS/Mutual Aid Plan according to State statue for five years. The 60 Control Task Force is compiling improvements as to how 60 Control handles its responsbility in the plan and the ability of EMS to cross over municipality lines for transportation of victims involved in accidents or tragedy.

Mr. Wishnie is in support of this plan as it an important step toward improving emergency response and interfacing with other municipalities and asked the membership to get approval today.

Mrs. Swanson said she would like to see a plan if the Board is going to approval the Act.

Mrs. Carsky agreed with Mrs. Swanson and asked how the plan is implemented and the types of emergencies involved. She said it is a very crucial and important matter especially when moving numerous people involved in an accident or disaster.

Mr. Hashmall said this is for routine ambulatory emergencies, the Office of Disaster and Emergency Services is prepared for more disastrous issues.

Mr. Ryan said there is a plan in place to deal and recognize the proper call for assistance and a presentation at a committee of the whole would be effective for better understanding.

On the motion of Legislator Wishnie, seconded by Legislator Swanson, with the provision to receive a copy of the plan of protocol. All in favor, none opposed, the motion was carried 6-0.

Special Item 2: Mrs. Swanson said this item is a request from 3 Fire Districts: Hawthorne, Thornwood and Valhalla to the Administration to allot $3,000 for the purchase of six Haz-Mat Suits for the purpose of immediate responders to mutual aid.

Mr. Hashmall said the Administration may not grant the request as part of Chief Campbell’s pending plan for a Countywide response team. He is in the process of meeting with Fire Chiefs for their opinions and participation in this plan. The summary of this plan will rely on career departments volunteering their personnel on duty to respond as first responders countywide to Haz-Mat incidents. Problems with Haz-Mat response outside of the City of Yonkers is the time it takes to report to their fire district and then report to the scene. Some of those volunteers work at corporate facilities and there is a time lag when reporting to an incident. The Task Force will put a recommendation a first responder from the County’s large cities to report to a countywide incident.

Mr. Hashmall noted another issue is the cost of the suit, which is approximately $8,000 per suit, not $3,000. It would be counteractive at this point to provide these suits to a volunteer departments until there is an opportunity to look at the entire plan and wait for recommendations from Chief Campbell.

The item was received and filed on the motion of Legislator Swanson, seconded by Legislator Wishnie.

Mrs., Swanson referred to the Deputy Coordinators that were paid stipends and look to them to be one of the first responders. Mr. Hashmall deferred to those people who are experts of this area and said the Administration is open to suggestions. He also said that a paid firefighter in White Plains with Level A Haz-Mat training will get to a call in a reasonable time opposed to a person that has to leave work, suit up and get to an incident.

An unprepared response to an incident can cause more damage than already done.

Mr. Hashmall assured that these people will be trained in A Level, will be a team of four and will be divided to respond to the four zones in the County.

On the motion of Legislator Wishnie, seconded by Legislator Carsky, the meeting was adjourned at 10:15 a.m.