OSWEGO COUNTY – Today, Monday June 13, Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup posted his monthly video update. In today’s video, he talked about resolutions passed during the legislature’s meeting on June 9 and changes in leadership in some county departments.
As there is no sign language interpreter for the video, the transcript can be read here.
He recounted the meeting, saying it began with a public hearing for a proposed local law to establish fees and guidelines for tow services dispatched by Oswego County.
“County Sheriff Don Hilton and E-911 Director Kevin Pooley led this joint effort with other emergency responders to develop a better system for dispatching tow truck operators to traffic hazards,” Weatherup said. “As a result, Local Law #5 of 2022 was proposed and adopted. It sets a reasonable price schedule, clarifies definitions of response times and locations, and assures accountability across the board. This will help protect drivers on our streets and highways along with the emergency responders who are there to help them.”
He also mentioned one of the other resolutions passed during the meeting was to allocate American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“As I said last month, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strengthen our communities for generations to come,” Weatherup said. “With this in mind, we are thoroughly reviewing the many proposals submitted for this funding. This is a significant moment for us to enrich our economic future. As such, we are striving to maintain balance and equity throughout the process.”
He said the county has gathered a group of people from business, education, non-profit, and local government sectors. Together, they will decide which projects will receive the funding.
Weatherup then announced that the County’s Public Safety Center on Churchill Road will be dedicated to former Sheriff Reuel “Mo” Todd.
“A life-long county resident, Mo was employed by the sheriff’s office for nearly 45 years, starting as deputy and working his way up the ranks to sheriff, before retiring in 2018,” Weatherup said. “Mo’s selfless devotion, his commitment to serving and protecting others, made Oswego County a safer place for all residents and I’m honored to share this news.”
He also announced the new director of the county’s Veterans’ Services Office – Eric Boozer. Boozer is a veteran with 20 years of military service, including eight years in the Army and 12 years in the Air Force. Boozer has also worked in the county’s Department of Social Services and Emergency Management Office.
Weatherup then said that Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang plans to retire from his position at the end of the month. He went over Huang’s achievements in the county’s health department, mostly during the pandemic.
“Through the last two tumultuous years, he remained a steadfast champion of public health and together with his team remained committed to protecting and safe-guarding our residents,” Weatherup said. “Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Jiancheng, and best wishes on your next adventure.”
Shifting to public health, Weatherup said this is the second week in a row that Oswego County’s COVID-19 community level is ‘low.’ He also said that in the last week, the county’s number of new positive cases is 145 and the number of hospitalizations is seven.
“This is all very good news and I want to thank you all for doing your part to help bring these numbers down,” Weatherup said.
He then said with normal events and activities returning, such as arts and craft shows, concerts in the park, car and bike nights, 5Ks, fun runs, festivals, free fishing weekends and farmers’ markets, the county’s Tourism Office suggests people to check out its events calendar for fun activities.
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