The meeting was called to order at 10:05 AM by Chair Nancy Barr with a quorum present. The committee discussed two major items: a capital project for infrastructure improvements to the Oasis Center shelter, and the receipt of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and the second-quarter budget forecast. All four agenda items related to the Oasis Center were approved, and both the ACFR and the forecast were received and filed.
Department of Social Services (DSS) representatives presented a follow-up on Capital Project BSS 22-3272, which involves the purchase and renovation of the Oasis emergency overnight shelter at 19 Washington Avenue, New Rochelle. The property, currently leased from the Archdiocese of St. Gabriel, is 0.35 acres with a 7,482-square-foot building built in 1900. The lease expires December 31, 2026, at an annual cost of $107,100 ($8,925/month).
The total project cost is $11.1 million, broken down as follows:
The shelter currently houses approximately 50 men (all-male facility), though women are served at a Mount Vernon site. During construction, residents will be relocated to the Grasslands shelter or hotel overflow capacity. A phased approach was deemed infeasible due to the extent of work.
Four related items were considered and approved unanimously:
All four motions carried 5–0 (Ayes: Barr, Imamura, Puja, Williams, Williams Johnson).
Representatives from O'Connor Davies (Nick and Scott) presented the ACFR. The county received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOAA), an honor received by only 25–30 municipalities in New York State. The opinion stated that the financial statements are presented fairly and free from material misstatement.
Key financial highlights for the General Fund:
Discussion topics:
Budget Director Larry Sowell presented the forecast, highlighting a projected deficit of $9.4 million (on a $2.5 billion budget), considered manageable.
Key favorable variances (net $17.2 million):
Key unfavorable variances:
The forecast assumes no pension amortization or tax cert bonding (placeholders in the budget), which benefits future years. The county aims to manage within existing resources.
Discussion included concerns about enforcement of school bus stop-arm citations, vacancy savings vs. overtime (particularly in corrections), and retroactive state rate increases for special needs transportation (which can go back multiple years).
Well, good morning to everyone except Cowboy fans. Um handled business last night. Um Legislator Winston Samuels, Chair of the Budget Appropriations Committee. And I will start us out with attendance. I am present, uh majority leader holstein. All right. Let's say the non-bio. Here. Legislative Pierce. Majority Williams. Here. Let's later Williams done. Chairman Gosh. All right. We have a forum. We are starting officially at 1005 a.m. And um I'd like to open infrastructure and housing. Uh and present vice chair Pierce. Uh majority leader holstein. Legislative NBR. Okay. Samuels and Chairman Kashi. They're open at 101. And I will open social services disabilities and rights. Did you hear Vice Chair Williams Johnson? Regisor Williams. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, we are open at all right. So we have a holdover item from last committee meeting. Um for the record, items 381, 382, 383, and 384. And before we dive into those items, I'm just going to indicate to the record we've been joined by legislative Williams Johnson. Thank you for joining us. Well channel. Um yeah, we have a few folks to justify them. Uh Mr. Beefish, Dolito, and Ruby. Please join us at the table. Gentlemen, good morning. And again, for the record, just reaffuse yourselves as well with your titles and done to you. All right. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I'm John Beefis. I'm the first deputy commissioner of the Department of Social Services. Thank you to the social commissioner. Good morning. Tom Learning reimbursement manager. All right, thank you. So um, as aforementioned, we're here again.