OSWEGO – Hospice Care services in Oswego County will now fall under a new service provider, Oswego County Legislator James Karasek announced during last night’s monthly meeting, Thursday, April 13; Nascentia Health at Home now assuming all hospice care operations for Oswego County.
Karasek said the county suffered from employee retention issues over the past two years, with nurses leaving for much higher competitor wages – ranging anywhere from $20-30 more per hour; also saying that Oswego County was one of only two counties left that still ran their hospice programs.
“This will now be county-wide, whereas as the moment we are depending upon three other non-profit hospice programs to cover the county,” Karasek said. “So this will bring it back to home base – it will take care of Oswego County visits.
The resolution was unanimously passed by the legislature.
Other welcome news during last night’s meeting was the re-establishment of Mobility Management Services throughout the county. Legislator Mary Ellen Chesbro pointed to contractual conflicts as the reason renewal with the prior company was no longer available.
Chesbro announced Heather Snow, a valuable and substantial employee who worked with the former transportation service, would now take over operations of Mobility Management Services in Oswego County.
“I have to tell you how very excited I am that the heart and soul of the Mobility Management that was with us for the past year, has agreed to be the Mobility Management now,” Chesbro said. “This is a person that took her time; and she would go to every senior – visit’s in housing, meet with them for lunch and for tea, to see what was the problem – where did they need to go to? She rode the buses, she answered the phone calls. If somebody couldn’t get from here to there, this is what it was. This is what Mobility Management is about.”
The resolution was unanimously passed by the Legislature.
Another welcome, very long-overdue announcement was the implementation of ARPA bonus stipend funds to all county employees who worked during the pandemic, and also for recruitment/retention incentives for county employees.
Oswego County Department of Social Service workers have spoken out for increased wages during several Legislature meetings, urging the body to resolve inadequate pay rates at the department, thus resulting in dismal worker retention rates and increased worker burnout.
Oswego County Department of Social Service employee Jessica Steele spoke on last night’s resolution, thanking the legislature for their work in helping county workers; again asking for the legislature to create a plan to increase wages for workers.
“I want to thank you for the stipend that you are voting on for us. I’m very grateful – I’m very appreciative,” Steele said. “The problem with it is – the bonus does not help with the biggest problem that we have at DSS. That is, attraction and retention of employees. The only solution to that shortage – and I can say it over and over again – is paying a fair wage. I know it’s been said, ‘this can only be done during contract negotiations,’ or whatever, but that’s not the truth. You did it for caseworkers, so it can be done for everybody else that works at DSS, and the county for that matter.”
Steele also mentioned the 8% contract increase the contract negotiations are requesting, the legislature giving themselves a 6% raise this year.
The amounts employees receive are listed below:
Current Employees:
Active FT on payroll as of April 13, 2023: $1,000
Active PT on payroll as of April 13, 2023: $500
Recruitment/Retention:
Active FT on payroll as of July 1, 2024: $1,000
Active PT on payroll as of July 1, 2024: $500
Pandemic pay:
Active FT during pandemic (March 7, 2020 – September 12, 2022): $500
Active PT during pandemic (March 7, 2020 – September 12, 2022): $250
The measure was unanimously approved by the Legislature.
Another exciting announcement made during last night’s meeting was the appointment of now former Legislator Tim Stahl as Director of the Oswego County Community Development, Tourism and Planning Department.
Other items of importance:
- Recognition – Barbara Hadcock –Retirement, 37 years
- Proclamation – Child Abuse Prevention Month
- Proclamation – Fair Housing Month
- Proclamation – National Donate Life Month
- An honorary check was presented to P-Tech in the amount of $434,000a
- A Public Hearing will take place next month at the May 11 Legislature meeting: A Local Law allowing eligible Volunteer Firefighters and Volunteer Ambulance workers to receive Real Property Tax Exemption under Real Property Tax Law (RPTL) 466-a
All resolutions were passed. To view the full agenda, please click here. All County Legislature meetings are held the second Thursday of every month, the next meeting to be held on May 11 at 2:00 p.m.
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