Jefferson County legislators on Feb. — at their regular monthly meeting — approved a large package of resolutions that amended 2024 and 2025 budgets, authorized grant agreements and approved service contracts spanning elections, airport capital work, public health programs and social services. The board then went into executive session to discuss labor negotiations.

The votes covered routine and programmatic authorizations: election grants and software maintenance for the Board of Elections; allocations tied to passenger facility charges and several projects at Watertown International Airport, including terminal access road and approach lighting; multiple public-health and human-services budget reappropriations and grant recognitions; professional services contracts, intermunicipal shared-services agreements and funding for transportation and probation services.

The meeting produced near-unanimous approval on the items presented. Several measures were approved by roll call; two legislators were recorded as excused earlier in the meeting. After completing business the board voted to enter executive session to discuss labor negotiations under the cited statutory authority.

Votes at a glance

- Adopting 2025 strategic priorities for the Finance and Rules Committee: approved.

- Amending the 2024 county budget for sales tax distribution: roll call vote taken; approved.

- Authorizing a software maintenance agreement with NTS Data Services for Board of Elections software: approved.

- Authorizing agreements and budget amendments for New York State Board of Elections grants (ballot-by-mail grant; 2024 general election grant; election poll book grant) and related budget amendments: approved (roll calls recorded).

- Authorizing chief elected official local agreement with Lewis County under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: approved.

- Authorizing professional services and consulting agreements, including with NFP Health Insurance Consulting Services and VHB (engineering, surveying, landscape architecture and geology) for the county's online map viewer: approved.

- Joint services agreements with the town of Pamelia and the town of Worth for optional county assessment services pursuant to the Real Property Tax Law subsection mentioned in the motion: approved.

- Multiple Watertown International Airport items: recognizing 2024 passenger facility charge revenue; amending the 2025 budget and capital plan for the terminal access road; amending project budget and 2025 capital plan for Runway 208 medium-intensity approach lighting system; easement agreements involving Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation; and an easement with the Town of Hounsfield Sewer District No. 1 — all approved.

- Reappropriating unspent grant funds for the Fire and Emergency Management Department and other reappropriations/amendments tied to NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance programs (Family Centered Case Management Services, Shelter Arrears/Eviction installment program, Solutions to End Homelessness) and USDA Food and Nutrition Service funds: approved.

- Authorizing a Section 5311 grant application for operating and capital expenses for Jefferson County Public Transportation and an agreement with Volunteer Transportation for mobility management services: approved.

- Authorizing agreements for probation services, medical examiner facility use, area veterinarians for rabies specimen preparation, and acceptance of a donation for foster care (amend 2025 budget): approved.

- Public-health actions: authorizing an agreement with the City of Watertown to establish a public-health specialist position tied to a NYSDOH rental-registry grant; participating in a public-health 1115 demonstration waiver network with Healthy Alliance Foundation Inc.; authorizing local-health performance incentive initiative funding and related 2025 budget amendments — approved.

- Authorizing an intermunicipal agreement for shared veteran services with Lewis County and an agreement with Development Authority of the North Country for operations and maintenance services: approved.

After the roll-call items and other business, Chairman Johnson moved the meeting into executive session to discuss labor negotiations pursuant to the cited authority; the board entered executive session by recorded motion and vote.

Context and notable details

- The meeting contained a high volume of routine authorizations and budget amendments rather than extended debate; many items were adopted by unanimous or near-unanimous roll call votes. The minutes record two legislators as excused earlier in the meeting.

- Several votes amended either the 2024 county budget (to recognize prior-year revenue or grant awards) or the 2025 county budget and capital plan (for airport projects, public health staffing and program funding).

- The board recorded roll call votes for numerous items; individual 'aye' responses are transcribed in the meeting record. After the formal business the board voted to convene an executive session to discuss labor negotiations.

Ending

The board completed the recorded agenda items and moved into executive session; no final public actions were taken after that point in the published transcript.