Fanslau shakes up county government

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — David Fanslau has big changes planned for Sullivan County government. At a meeting at the government center on March 8, Fanlau unveiled a plan to make significant changes to county departments and committees in an effort to “streamline the delivery of government services, reduce duplication of services and promote interaction among the various agencies and departments.”

One of the more striking changes that Fanslau urged concerned the appointment of deputies, assistants and employees of the county commissioners. At the present time, the commissioners of departments, such as public works and public safety, have the sole authority to make appointments to their departments. Under Fanslau’s plan, the commissioners could make those appointments only with the approval of the county manager, Fanslau, or his designee.

He said this was necessary to help create a system of “checks and balances” in the hiring process.

When lawmaker Kathy LaBuda asked for clarification, Fanslau said the move would be an attempt to “send a signal that there is no single authority” with control over employment prospects for the county. He added that most often the approval would come from his designee who would be personnel commissioner Pamela Rouke.

Another big change would be made to the Planning and Community Development Committee. It would be broken up into two committees: the Community and Economic Development Committee and the Planning Environmental and Real Property Committee. The current Real Property Committee, which now stands alone, would be folded into the second committee.

Fanlsau said that this part of the restructuring would aid the newly. named Commissioner of Planning and Environmental Conservation to address environmental and open space concerns “particularly in western Sullivan County, such as fighting to preserve our natural resources and not allowing outside corporations, such as NYRI, to destroy the county.”

Dr. William Pammer, the planning commissioner, said the inclusion of the real property element would allow his department to be more efficient, especially with programs such as the establishment of the countywide computerized geographical information system, which is now underway.

Among Fanslau’s other proposed changes, the Financial Management Committee will become the Management and Budget Committee, and the General Services Committee will become the Government Services Committee, and the responsibilities of both committees will be expanded.

County chairman Chris Cunningham said he expected to get some feedback about the proposed changes from the other lawmakers, but in the end, final changes should look pretty much like the ones Fanslau outlined. Cunningham said he supports the plans and some of the changes are “long overdue.”

The changes will require the legislature to pass a local law. A public hearing on the proposed law will be held on April 26 at 2:00 p.m. at the government center.