OSWEGO COUNTY – Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup posted his monthly video update on Thursday, September 22. In this month’s video, he discussed updates within the county, including ARPA funding, changes to DSS and the Oswego DMV.
He started with an overview of the legislature’s September meeting, when the legislative body approved to grant Pulaski with $250,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding to modernize the village’s wastewater treatment facilities.
“This ARPA allocation will not only help the village and its residents by decreasing their costs, but it also benefits the entire county by ensuring one of our most important natural and economic assets, the Salmon River, continues to have clean water to support world class fishing and recreational opportunities,” Weatherup said. “We expect to approve more ARPA funding requests at upcoming meetings, and we will continue to focus investments on the priorities previously established by the Legislature, which include enhancing and promoting economic development and local businesses, public safety, water and wastewater infrastructure and high-speed broadband.”
More information about ARPA funding or to fill out an application for your business or organization, see here.
Weatherup also said the legislature is working to improve the county’s Department of Social Services and they have recently approved nine new positions. He said the bulk of those positions are meant to help create Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START). START is a child welfare service model aimed to improve outcomes for children and families who have been impacted by parental substance abuse and maltreatment.
“Substance use is a contributing factor in many of our child abuse and neglect cases, and our social services leadership is optimistic this program can improve family stability, reduce the recurrence of abuse and neglect, and prevent out-of-home placements by providing enhanced supports to families in need,” Weatherup said.
He also said the county is taking a multi-pronged approach to improving the safety of employees and visitors in county buildings. One of these approaches includes establishing a capital project for a better video surveillance system.
“It’s an unfortunate reality that we must be prepared for potential threats, but this, along with other measures that will be rolled out in the coming weeks and months, will protect our county and provide law enforcement and first responders with better tools and information,” Weatherup said.
Also in regards to county news, Weatherup reported that the legislature approved to rename Oswego’s DMV and records center after George Williams. Williams was the Oswego County Clerk for over 20 years.
“Williams’ dedication and public service are deserving of recognition, and it’s a fitting tribute to a man who helped shape the department into what it is today. We’re pleased to honor Williams’ contributions to our county and I want to thank County Clerk Terry Wilbur for bringing this forward,” Weatherup said.
Lastly, Weatherup spoke about SuperDIRT Week, which moved to Oswego Speedway in 2016, providing a boost to the local economy. This will be the 50th anniversary for the racing event.
“I want to thank DIRTCar racing, the Oswego Speedway and all the county and city officials who help make the event possible,” Weatherup said. “ It’s a great event and we hope it continues to return to our county for many years to come, and we wish all the racers the best of luck.”
