[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6613580,"mediaKeyId","2869965-104f728e95cdb99d4b34b574116668b1","parentId",2869965,"title","Public commenter accuses InfiniteCare of contract noncompliance and calls for legislature to enforce terms","audioSeconds",175,"startMs",2682000,"endMs",2857000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2869965-104f728e95cdb99d4b34b574116668b1&start=2682&end=2857","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2869965-104f728e95cdb99d4b34b574116668b1/thumbnail_2682000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6613580/Sullivan-County/New-York/Public-commenter-accuses-InfiniteCare-of-contract-noncompliance-and-calls-for-legislature-to-enforce-terms","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6613580-512d382f2a14a9712bf9e1f38817c9f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138476&Signature=CHEwF6KxPOemi4AtPZX~V-oOqcV118JuvbZ51AUd39UWHTHm2pf5-dvEawK1XU7tLF26KEbhKOR1NbG6x7iuOfWqSPZ3tbwshpRc1kyNhVliDmKgc8cmrM0uY24jdSzAQpPyFKbBoQFVGmt5l7T~8EKc1hNr5K4mW7n61itpBK3YgOvu-i8QT4giFbF-ccHNZR~vRd2eFcIgGHI7UR0G3-YjK7yWr230kfh3Bw33ssDI8PMnfapGrrnONfgnQFRzp0aJgGfF7U0ZnWY2hcI4GUM4jw3DD3agnN9V~LyoZvPYkfcd4WGD-ww8VsLUSQmlEave-ep~KEBaSpD6peLCrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Sullivan County","date","2025-04-03T08:59:00Z","article","A public commenter urged the Sullivan County Legislature to direct the county manager’s office to enforce the terms of the contract with InfiniteCare, the operator associated with the county’s care facility, alleging systemic noncompliance and weak oversight.

The commenter said the New York State survey team recently visited the facility after an incident and that a corporate compliance complaint they filed last year concluded there was widespread failure by InfiniteCare to meet contract provisions. The commenter alleged the county allowed InfiniteCare to function like a private operator rather than as a contracted consultant, asserted that more than half of the staff are per-diem employees hired through contract agencies, and said the county has not been verifying time sheets, staff qualifications or payroll for medical, pharmacy and food-supply vendors. The commenter said a shortfall has been calculated by an associate named Ken at “upwards of $8,000,000.”

The public commenter said there is no formal lease unless the New York State Department of Health approves a certificate-of-need application and urged the legislature to pass a resolution directing the manager’s office to enforce InfiniteCare’s contract and to require fuller transparency and compliance checks. The speaker said they could not find written authorization from a previous chair to allow InfiniteCare latitude in operating decisions and asked the legislature to examine the contract language and implement stronger oversight.

No formal action on the contract was recorded during the meeting; the remarks were made during public comment. The county manager’s office and InfiniteCare were not recorded making a response during the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Sullivan County - Government Services Committee on 2025-04-03 9:00 AM - Apr 03, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A public commenter urged the Sullivan County Legislature to direct the county manager’s office to enforce the terms of its contract with InfiniteCare, alleging the management contractor is operating beyond its role and that county oversight has been inadequate.","taxTitle","Sullivan County, New York","taxId",14534,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6613584,"County clerk: Real ID appointments surge; mobile unit and weekend hours added to meet demand",101,381000,482000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2869965-104f728e95cdb99d4b34b574116668b1&start=381&end=482","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2869965-104f728e95cdb99d4b34b574116668b1/thumbnail_381000.jpg","/articles/6613584/Sullivan-County/New-York/County-clerk-Real-ID-appointments-surge-mobile-unit-and-weekend-hours-added-to-meet-demand","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6613584-0d17433008ebc588e255fc1eeea220f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138476&Signature=hXyfNQDpKbBlGQ7BVOa~IRZxnduQ8aUd-n1sYUU58uYVeihPTcszUJp3mt8EOG9xyI4TGlgNszRUqJFrx4qtBLGkLmf~WI1zYXicbYroKknQVieQTJ2S76MGLP5gFTezyhHfykukfrn-vxwGyOUjS64CIkUeb59yphivWCGeRKgdcZqTJN0NmweJEml2kjp9fHqpO8~q-bgBgHRkPVvyjiLZV~NF6QF9SEC0q66PBHGJtl3G476A28UlIjAWjlx1YAt0c5WOrOBmmNyVkdRrn~5RCA9NZHdUEk8MLOHyqOZkZPvRUsil4RWNwfePOPWF9PcC1T1BfEDRU~gh0~G9rQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The county clerk reported a sharp increase in local demand for enhanced driver’s licenses and Real ID credentials and said the office is expanding hours and using a mobile unit to manage volume.

The clerk said the office completed about 495 enhanced/Real ID appointments in January, 652 in February, 863 in March and had 931 appointments in the current month, including work done by a mobile unit. “We’ve seen a 32% increase in volume,” the clerk said. To handle demand, the clerk said the office has added camera-equipped mobile units at four locations, is offering Saturday appointments for the next month or two and is asking staff to volunteer weekend shifts to process appointments.

The clerk reminded residents that a passport is an accepted travel document and that those without a passport will need an enhanced Real ID to travel domestically after the federal Real ID deadline. The clerk said scheduled appointments have reduced long wait times and praised staff for helping residents with disabilities through the application process.","The county clerk told the Sullivan County Legislature that enhanced-driver's-license and Real ID appointments have increased substantially; the clerk cited a 32% rise in volume, reported monthly appointment totals and said a mobile unit and weekend appointments are easing wait times.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6613589,"SUNY Sullivan outlines FAFSA, aid and retention efforts; reports 2,000 FAFSA submissions and $2.2M in Pell awards",601,568000,1169000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2869965-104f728e95cdb99d4b34b574116668b1&start=568&end=1169","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2869965-104f728e95cdb99d4b34b574116668b1/thumbnail_568000.jpg","/articles/6613589/Sullivan-County/New-York/SUNY-Sullivan-outlines-FAFSA-aid-and-retention-efforts-reports-2000-FAFSA-submissions-and-22M-in-Pell-awards","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6613589-b8ad97be633692989404ae5a21365daa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138476&Signature=IJW8Bsdk5859SnHK0rONsE9SFrf3H9IJwyBLrnxz2nH~-pgn1mb-wtqiyQUTnhowaXmpwbwVEwzbMSb0-NP4qxR62cbaLaqPoe9W1DZ1cfHUtt4wwtx5qzsaN7NUe6oRoEsuL6YCd9E9L7y3K6ZqP82MgxUA5kk56ejTelXsSQ-phX0OQrSBPArc-4oKyNjVrD15W6a097bWHF-3pDo6SwW7pDEkh3QJ~DQlIDxoMkhqhyUQQHtxc0jBiK~HeElYdxvEu~BwSzKNvl-Rw2QeH0iwYJA~WcJ4EBZQL134YBh~KA83Bf8VwbWhqatTAEQpcW-QplzJXH01IDosmDlYbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Officials from SUNY Sullivan briefed the Sullivan County Legislature on campus financial-aid outreach and student support programs, saying the college has increased high-school FAFSA assistance and is working to expand retention and adult-learner strategies.

Carrie Whitehead, director of financial aid at SUNY Sullivan, said the college’s office received more than 2,000 FAFSA submissions this year and awarded about $2,200,000 in Pell grants. She reported that 71% of SUNY Sullivan students received federal grants, 63% received state grants, 23% borrowed student loans and roughly 91% of students received some form of financial aid. “This is what students have to complete and any student, regardless of income, who wants to be considered for federal, state, or school financial aid programs need to complete this FAFSA,” Whitehead said.

College leadership said they are increasing outreach to local high schools—bringing FAFSA assistance to campuses and running on-site events—and that students may list up to 20 colleges on the FAFSA so institutions can receive the filing. Whitehead described the FAFSA’s IRS data import feature and explained the verification process the federal government may require.

SUNY Sullivan said it will continue to award state programs such as TAP and explained eligibility issues for noncitizen students. The college cited the Sullivan Promise scholarship (county-funded) and last-dollar scholarships as supplements after Pell and TAP awards; 13 students received the Promise scholarship this year, officials said.

The college reported no planned increases in tuition or residence-hall fees for the coming year and said it is expanding Open Educational Resources (OER) to reduce textbook costs. Administrators said teams are working on first-year student success programs and adult-learner outreach; they also reported a recent job fair that drew an estimated 53–54 employers. SUNY Sullivan said it will return to the legislature with further data on enrollment and retention later in the spring.","College officials described local outreach to increase FAFSA completion, summarized financial-aid statistics for the academic year, and said the college will not raise tuition or room-and-board rates for the coming year while expanding Open Educational Resources.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6613594,"Cornell Cooperative Extension tells Sullivan County federal pause on grants has frozen $2.3M farm funding and threatens food programs",195,1404000,1599000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2869965-104f728e95cdb99d4b34b574116668b1&start=1404&end=1599","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2869965-104f728e95cdb99d4b34b574116668b1/thumbnail_1404000.jpg","/articles/6613594/Sullivan-County/New-York/Cornell-Cooperative-Extension-tells-Sullivan-County-federal-pause-on-grants-has-frozen-23M-farm-funding-and-threatens-food-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6613594-e30f2710427090345dd07b563cb8567f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138476&Signature=bBg6cafi6Qu15RsBUXXkFB8YVEigCaTkTrGUtYn9XLQhJ1AFotDuDWaPZUYhTHwI9s7kLeiTvP-YbT6Rbgmdgtw4chWFQAWJMNpE3GsKqkFIt8F5JQxwd9ygwSAcXFLGOqiN1Adxjf-D~Ed85yUuggzGOzORf3IcOFDlKIu3uzcDiXGUM2711MVRPLjEgCBFVgcGbSqOLppKrH27~jxoePNPUtU2Cp5NePMWXxCMWsbFBzfcgg7-MG~i3O5uZR05lM8nyPBtSwk7laq1dvcJFiVCVpv5c2EYq7tMMx913KSZHNQB5JL544xdcI-FMRczy3513sl2aTzIOPjx3iuu3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Colleen, a representative of Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Sullivan, told the Sullivan County Legislature that a federal pause on agency obligations has frozen a $2,300,000 USDA grant and disrupted local food, farm and prevention programs.

The issue stems from an Office of Management and Budget memo directing federal agencies to pause obligations and disbursements; the memo took effect Jan. 28, CCE said. CCE reported two USDA grant accounts were later unfrozen but said the largest grant, $2.3 million over five years for a beginner-farmer program covering Sullivan County and the region, remains frozen. Colleen said the organization is owed more than $125,000 by USDA as of Feb. 28 and has paid about $60,000 from its operating funds to cover 2024 obligations while waiting for federal reimbursements.

CCE told legislators the pause forced it to halt a mentorship program tied to that grant, eliminate two full-time-equivalent positions associated with the work and suspend direct payments to participating farmers. “The funding remains frozen despite multiple court orders to the feds to release the funding,” Colleen said.

Why it matters: CCE said federal support makes up roughly 33% of its operating budget and that the pause has already reduced service capacity across countywide programs. CCE also said New York State OASIS canceled its Community Prevention and Intervention Project (CPIP), a program funded from federal SAMHSA-originated awards that supports youth and family prevention work, immediately, producing an additional loss of about $100,000 through June 2025 and affecting 2.5 FTEs that serve all county school districts.

Colleen described growing need for food assistance and supply constraints at regional food banks. She said inquiries to the county-covered mobile food pantry (the Sullivan Fresh community cupboard) have increased more than 33% since January while USDA commodity availability and selections at the regional food bank have declined. CCE estimated operating expenses for the community-covered program at about $160,000 a year and reported receiving $214,000 in USDA commodities through the food bank in 2024.

CCE asked county leaders to publicize the local impacts and urged elected officials and the public to contact federal representatives and the attorney general’s office. Colleen said CCE submitted an amicus brief in one relevant lawsuit (the judge declined to accept it) and offered to sign onto collaborative letters from the county. She asked the legislature and county managers to note that, in CCE’s view, federally appropriated and contractually agreed funds are being withheld with little communication to grantees.

Legislators and several public commenters echoed concern about downstream effects on local economies and services. One legislator suggested a joint letter from county officials to federal representatives; Colleen said she would welcome any formal advocacy and will continue to “float” programs through June while seeking state, local or private support.

CCE provided an annual report and said it has enough reserves to meet 2025 obligations for now but warned of risks to the catalog of services, partner agencies’ capacity and local food security if funding delays continue.

CCE recommended that the county and other local partners consider contingency planning and potential sponsorships to sustain essential services while federal funding uncertainties persist.","Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) told the Sullivan County Legislature that an Office of Management and Budget pause on federal disbursements left a $2.3 million USDA beginner-farmer grant frozen, has produced arrears to the extension, forced staff cuts and paused a mentorship program, and is straining local food-distribution efforts.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6613575,"Legislature moves resolutions 1 and 2 in a block; motion called and seconded",15,3007000,3022000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2869965-104f728e95cdb99d4b34b574116668b1&start=3007&end=3022","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2869965-104f728e95cdb99d4b34b574116668b1/thumbnail_3007000.jpg","/articles/6613575/Sullivan-County/New-York/Legislature-moves-resolutions-1-and-2-in-a-block-motion-called-and-seconded","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6613575-1e0592a57cd78022e1aa74235642635e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138476&Signature=o6PVNoT3LA5Knbdiuq8ObSEW-m-FSfedD1v5ktI4byHzFJVa0-pmw-QvVjrdideMhqfxDDYKfcp8zk8KwtZPy1e3WSNc3h2-qg8UTe6zE~AG9SlVyvB0cf5X1DRVJ6GnNNnlJEjh7Yh3G-VObmXYwD43WSHE7Hq3Dib6RRg9dZIp4B~a9ib6WeIXxbhyqDcXjKvygkyjh6zbzuTey4400eHm5F8tHDdPrcbEaziSuWLG14Uh7ViiNPO1tVG7AVCvd1JsI3ZJITjfpQOwMPJxejZ00tkKm~Q~MBpAZTySwYlMd~zSaQMhMtcgBpDNwBdSDKrf1fw3DC7ejNM7MHvUqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Legislator Brian moved to take resolutions 1 and 2 in a block; Legislator Matt seconded the motion. The clerk called for the motion and a voice vote was taken. The meeting transcript does not include the text or subject matter of either resolution, and no roll-call tally or detailed outcome was recorded in the transcript beyond the voice vote procedure.

What the record shows:
- Motion: “Moved by Brian to move resolution 1 and 2 in a block” (mover: Brian; second: Matt).
- Procedure: Clerk called the motion and solicited a voice vote.
- Outcome detail: The transcript indicates the motion was put to a voice vote; the text of resolutions 1 and 2 and any related vote tally are not printed in the meeting excerpt provided.

The meeting then proceeded to adjourn; the record does not show substantive debate on the two resolutions during the excerpt provided.","At the close of the meeting, a motion to move resolutions 1 and 2 in a block was made by Legislator Brian, seconded by Legislator Matt; the meeting record shows the motion was called for a voice vote and the motion proceeded as recorded. The transcript does not include the contents of the two resolutions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public commenter accuses InfiniteCare of contract noncompliance and calls for legislature to enforce terms

County clerk: Real ID appointments surge; mobile unit and weekend hours added to meet demand

SUNY Sullivan outlines FAFSA, aid and retention efforts; reports 2,000 FAFSA submissions and $2.2M in Pell awards

Cornell Cooperative Extension tells Sullivan County federal pause on grants has frozen $2.3M farm funding and threatens food programs

Legislature moves resolutions 1 and 2 in a block; motion called and seconded