NORWICH – Now that the administrators and support staffs of the Chenango County Department of Social Services have moved into the newly-completed West Park Place office complex, reconfiguration of the County Office Building can begin.
Initial plans were to turn over the entire third floor of the COB to the New York State Sixth Judicial District. The district attorney, public defender, courts and probation offices – making up about 30 full and part-time employees – currently reside in 16 percent of the top floor. The court system has been requesting additional space for a number of years.
To make way for the courts, the Chenango County Board of Supervisors’ chambers, clerk of the board and county auditor’s offices, and the board chairman’s and attorney’s office suite are slated to move into the DSS Annex’s second floor.
Clerk of the Board RC Woodford said yesterday that final discussions and plans haven’t been initiated as of yet.
DSS Commissioner Bette Osborne said she planned to take the next two to three months re-aligning the Annex’s first floor spaces to make the area more secure for staff and the clients it serves. The reconfiguration will require temporarily occupying some vacated second floor offices.
DSS staff have moved from the second floor, although not all office equipment. The next step is to restructure temporary assistance, food stamps, Medicaid, and employment to one area while moving emergency services, HEAP and a few other office to an area more accessible to clients. Next, according to Osborne, child protective services offices will move to a less broken-up area and lastly, individual interview offices will be set up for all clients.
“Not only will this enable us to become more compliant with confidentiality requirements, but it should increase safety for both clients and staff. We hope to be completely done with this re-alignment by mid year,” the Commissioner said.
In the meantime, the county’s buildings and grounds superintendent said she is being approached by “everybody” in the COB for more space.
“Everybody wants space, the court system, probation ... They would all like to be a part of move. I would encourage a team approach,” Superintendent Julie Gates told members of the Agriculture, Buildings and Grounds Committee last week.
Members of the committee suggested moving in stages, perhaps renting space at the Eaton Center for some offices in the interim.
“It’s going to be a large undertaking,” said Supervisor Robert D. Briggs, R-Afton.
Town of Preston Supervisor Peter C. Flanagan suggested moving the offices into a currently unoccupied wing at the Public Safety Facility and jail.
Gates also reported to committee that her department spent $1,500 to seal and coat a leak on a section of the office building’s roof. “It’s holding its own,” she said. “We’re keeping an eye on it.