Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Theodore T. Kusnierz, Jr. speaks at a press conference on Friday at the Saratoga County Offices in Ballston Spa. (Lauren Halligan – Medianews Group)
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. — Due to population development, Saratoga County is expanding its public wellness solutions division to a complete-service Division of Wellness, a requirement for New York State counties with much more than 250,000 residents.
As the county approaches that quantity amongst its population, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Theodore T. Kusnierz, Jr. announced this significant expansion at a press conference on Friday at the Saratoga County Offices in Ballston Spa.
“Here in Saratoga County we are really proud to champion our conservative values and policies that retain our county 1 of the lowest tax counties in the state and 1 of the most desirable locations to reside and raise a loved ones,” he mentioned, sharing that Saratoga County has noticed amazing development in its population more than the previous ten years.
The transition, which entails a shift of many inspection responsibilities from the state to the county, started a number of months ago and is anticipated to be completed by April 1, 2025 or sooner.
Implementing the new complete-service Saratoga County Division of Wellness is a monumental process and a really highly-priced endeavor, Kusnierz mentioned, assuring that the county is moving forward proficiently, effectively, and professionally to construct out the division and attain this target to much better serve the requires of the residents of Saratoga County.
Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D- Round Lake, announced at the occasion that a $1.six million grant is getting allocated in the state spending budget to assistance the transition, which is the 1st of its sort in decades all through New York state.
“Saratoga County is the only county outdoors of New York City that is expanding. As a outcome, some duties that have been after the state’s duty are shifting to the county,” Woerner mentioned in a press release, referring to her function in securing sources like this grant for the neighborhood as 1 of her most significant responsibilities in the Assembly.
The assemblywoman thanked all involved in the group work on the county and state levels for coming up with a strong program that guarantees the transition occurs seamlessly.
Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett, chair of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Wellness and Human Solutions Committee, shared that the state funds will offset the price of recruitment, hiring and coaching of new employees, the obtain of gear and supplies as effectively as capital expenditures as the division continues to develop.
“Our leadership group decided to take on this big initiative coming out of COVID since now is the time to provide much more solutions to the residents of Saratoga County,” Barrett mentioned.
“Assuming duty for these environmental wellness applications will permit us right here in the county to do a tremendous job of guarding the wellness and security of our residents,” Saratoga County Wellness Commissioner Dr. Daniel Kuhles mentioned, “but also giving the data and education to our corporations and permanent entities to assist them meet or exceed the needs in the state sanitary code.”
Dr. Ursula Bauer, deputy commissioner for public wellness at the New York State Division of Wellness, mentioned that she and the other leaders in this work have a lot of operate ahead of them to construct on the progress currently produced. “I am confident with the powerful collaboration among the teams at the Saratoga and the state wellness departments, and with the sources that we now have on the table, we will move forward promptly and continue our robust and collegial collaboration.”
Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner speaks at a press conference on Friday at the Saratoga County Offices in Ballston Spa. (Lauren Halligan – Medianews Group)
Ursula Bauer, deputy commissioner for public wellness at the New York State Division of Wellness, speaks at a press conference on Friday at the Saratoga County Offices in Ballston Spa. (Lauren Halligan – Medianews Group)
Clifton Park Supervisor Phil Barrett, chair of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Wellness and Human Solutions Committee, speaks at a press conference on Friday at the Saratoga County Offices in Ballston Spa. (Lauren Halligan – Medianews Group)
Saratoga CountyHealth Commissioner Dr. Daniel Kuhles speaks at a press conference on Friday at the Saratoga County Offices in Ballston Spa. (Lauren Halligan – Medianews Group)
Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner speaks at a press conference on Friday at the Saratoga County Offices in Ballston Spa. (Lauren Halligan – Medianews Group)
