County of Chemung

The meeting included updates from subcommittees on mental health, faith-based initiatives, community and youth engagement. Discussions focused on enhancing crisis intervention training for law enforcement, engaging with local faith groups, establishing a Youth Action Summit, and the importance of diversity in law enforcement. The committee also addressed public hearing feedback, the timeline for local law and plan submission, training requirements, and a community survey update. The next meeting was scheduled for January 19, 2021.

The committee members shared information regarding the effect of term limits on Clinton County, where term limits with staggered, four-year terms were imposed in 1996. Discussion included the pros and cons of term limits, such as reducing stagnation and providing opportunities for new ideas, but also the difficulty of finding good people to run and the potential loss of experienced individuals. Herkimer County does not have term limits, except for the Chairman of the Legislature. One member stated that term limits take away the rights of the voters and can lead to Lame Duck status and the loss of influence of an elected official. The committee has requested that the Legislative Attorney attend the next meeting to provide an overview of Parliamentary Procedure regarding the re-introduction of a Resolution that previously failed at the Committee level.

The commission addressed various personnel changes for employees across multiple entities, including the County of Chemung, City of Elmira, Town of Catlin, Town of Elmira, Town of Horseheads, Village of Elmira Heights, Village of Horseheads, Village of Wellsburg, Elmira City School District, Horseheads Central School District, Spencer Van-Etten Central School District, GST BOCES District, Chemung County Library District, Elmira Water Board, and Woodlawn Cemetery Commission. Additionally, the commission established and extended eligible lists for positions such as Public Health Nurse, Supervising Nurse, School Personnel Clerk, and Senior Social Welfare Examiner. They also amended the Eligible List of Police Sergeant, considered reinstatements for various positions, approved the transfer of a Network Technology Specialist, classified new positions in the Chemung County Public Advocate's Office, and reclassified a vacant position in the GST BOCES district. The Commissioners acknowledged receipt of confidential and disciplinary actions.

The committee discussed the reconsideration of legislative representation following the decennial census, the potential reduction in the number of legislators, and whether the current form of government is suitable for the county's size and reduced population. The committee will study the cost of the current form of government and seek potential cost reductions while maintaining efficiency. CGR provided an overview of the process, including benchmarking counties for comparison and developing options for consideration. The committee also discussed public participation and transparency in the process.

The Term Limit Advisory Committee convened to discuss term limits. Discussions included the resignation of a member, the necessity of term limits given existing election cycles, and the rights of citizens to choose their representatives. The committee also addressed the previous recommendation process, the constitutionality of term limits, and the impact of term limits in other counties. The committee considered arranging a meeting with officials from Schuyler and Steuben counties to discuss their experiences with term limits.