Orleans County Legislature Tackles Flood Preparation and Public Safety Upgrades in First Meeting of 2025
The Orleans County Legislature moved forward with significant public safety and emergency management initiatives at their January 28 meeting, including a new flood mitigation agreement with the state and the purchase of dozens of AEDs using opioid settlement funds.
●Flood Mitigation Plan: Entered a 5-year memorandum with NYS Division of Homeland Security for flood equipment along Lake Ontario (6-0 vote).
●AED Purchase: Approved using $80,384.92 in opioid settlement funds to purchase Automated External Defibrillators for county facilities and vehicles (6-0 vote).
●EMO Facility Design: Authorized $6,000 for design services for the new Emergency Management Office on West County House Road (6-0 vote).
●Mercy Flight Contract: Renewed air medical transport agreement for $5,000, holding the rate steady since 2018 (6-0 vote).
●Sheriff’s Office Updates: Approved $6,750 for sex offender watch software and filled the vacant Administrative Chief Deputy position at Grade 8 (6-0 vote).
●Board Appointments: Appointed members to the Emergency Medical Services Council and Fire Advisory Board (6-0 votes).
●Human Trafficking Awareness: Approved a banner display on Courthouse Square for the remainder of the awareness month.
ALBION — The Orleans County Legislature convened Tuesday afternoon for its first meeting of 2025, addressing a mix of public safety contracts, flood mitigation preparations, and emergency management appointments.
Legislators met in the Chambers of the County Clerk’s Office at 4:30 p.m. Chairman Lynne Johnson presided over the session. All legislators were present except for Legislator Draper, who was absent.
One of the most significant policy moves of the evening was the approval of a Memorandum of Agreement between the county’s Emergency Management Office and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES).
Resolution 7-125 authorizes the agreement effective immediately through December 31, 2030. The state has appropriated funds to purchase flood mitigation equipment intended to support counties during emergency flood events. For Orleans County, this is particularly relevant given the county’s vulnerability along the Lake Ontario shoreline. The agreement aims to enhance preparedness and response capabilities to mitigate disaster impacts in flood-prone areas.
In another move aimed at public safety, the Legislature unanimously approved the use of opioid settlement funds to bolster life-saving capabilities. Through Resolution 8-125, the county accepted a corporate buydown award via AEDGrants.com.
The Legislature authorized the County Treasurer to set up new funds in the 2025 Emergency Management budget, allocating $80,384.92 in revenue from opioid settlement funds. These funds will be appropriated specifically for safety equipment, allowing the county to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for use throughout county facilities and public safety vehicles.
"This is a positive way to use these funds to directly benefit the health and safety of our residents," said Chairman Johnson regarding the allocation.
The meeting also saw progress regarding the construction of a new Emergency Management Office. Legislators approved an agreement with Vanguard Interiors and Design Inc., based in Buffalo, for structural design and interior layout services. The $6,000 cap on this agreement will be paid from the Capital Project EMO budget.
This design work is for the EMO facility located at 14064 West County House Road in Albion. The urgency of establishing a modern facility was underscored by communications read into the record. Letters from the Orleans County Fire Advisory Board, the Fire Chiefs Association, and individual companies from Carlton and Clarendon requested that the legislature prioritize funding for the new facility and training center in 2025.
On the law enforcement side, the Sheriff’s Office received approval for several key agreements. Resolution 1-125 authorized a three-year contract with Watch Systems, LLC, costing $6,750 annually, to maintain sex offender watch notifications. Additionally, the Legislature moved to fill the vacant permanent full-time Administrative Chief Deputy position.
Resolution 4-125 amended a previous resolution to authorize the hiring at Grade 8, Step 8 of the Management Compensation Plan, with a starting date of January 29, 2025. The Legislature also approved an inter-departmental agreement to assign a full-time Department of Public Works employee to the Jail for maintenance support.
The Legislature also renewed its agreement with Mercy Flight for air medical transfers. The county will pay $5,000 for the 2025 calendar year, a rate that has remained flat since 2018.
In other business, the Legislature approved the hanging of a banner on Courthouse Square to promote Human Trafficking Awareness Month through February 14. Legislator Miller also presented a proclamation to the Department of Social Services declaring January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
Several appointments were made to county advisory boards, including the appointment of Chairman Johnson, Sheriff Christopher Bourke, and Legislator John Fitzak to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Community Advisory Board.
The meeting concluded with the reappointment of voting and non-voting members to the Emergency Medical Services Council and the Orleans County Fire Advisory Board for the 2025 term.
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Coverage of the Orleans County Legislature meeting on 2025-01-28,
Village of Albion, NY.
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This article was drafted by AI (claude-sonnet-4-20250514) from the official meeting transcript and reviewed by a human editor.
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