Copyright © 2009 Mid-Hudson News Network, a division of Statewide News Network, Inc

Ulster County sues Nevele for outstanding taxes, payments in lieu of taxes

KINGSTON – Ulster County his filed a lawsuit against the owners of the Nevele Hotel in an effort to collect all payments in lieu of taxes and unpaid taxes owed the county.

According to the complaint filed in State Supreme Court on Friday, the county is owed $290,959, plus penalties, interest and attorneys’ fees.

The Ulster County Industrial Development agency was also named in the suit by the county, but the IDA was included for procedural purposes and the county is not seeking any money or remedies from it.

In 2008, the hotel, which ended its tax exempt status, agreed to pay existing county, town and highway taxes in three installments.

The complaint said the Nevele paid the first payment, but not the second or third totaling $74,290.

The 2009 county, town, high and special district taxes totaling $161,388 are also unpaid, according to the suit as is $55,280 in county motel tax.

County Executive Michael Hein said he looks forward to working with the new owner, but the hotel has an obligation to the taxpayers of the county.

An auction company will be accepting bids for the hotel on Tuesday.

Affordable housing complex opens in Ulster County
Copyright © 2009 Mid-Hudson News Network, a division of Statewide News Network, Inc.

ELLENVILLE – It was a vacant lot, but now could be a Field of Dreams for prospective homeowners.

Ellenville village, state and federal officials were on hand Monday for the opening of the Buttermilks Falls townhouse complex near the accent over Shawangunks, a 15-unit, $3.4 million project to help bring more homeownership to the village.

“These are 15 townhouse units for sale for homebuyers earning up to 100 percent for the median income, and we have four units for that,” said Kevin O’Connor, the executive director of the Rural Ulster Preservation Company, which helped develop the complex. ”And we have 11 units for folks earning up 80 percent of Ulster County’s median income.”

The median income in Ulster County is $70,000 for a family of four, and the units are priced at $127,000 and $144,000. O’Connor said there has been interest in more than half of the units so far.

“We have been working in the Village of Ellenville for a number of years,” said O’Connor.” This was a site that was vacant for as long as anyone could remember, and it was an opportunity to bring home ownership to the Village of Ellenville. They fit in with the community. We were able save the mature tree line along Canal Street.”

The project was reliant on state funding and housing subsidies, and Deborah Van Amerongen, the commissioner of New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal, said this complex helps with the revitalization of communities like Ellenville, which have been suffered economically over the years.

“It’s great to provide home ownership opportunities anywhere in this state, particularly in areas where there has been economic downturn,” she said. “People really haven’t had the opportunity to have good decent housing, particularly brand new homes like this.”
Congressman Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley, was a featured speaker prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“It’s very nicely done, and it’s attractive. It’s going to make a big difference in the lives of the people who live in these townhouses,” he said, following a tour of a unit. “It’s another example of the positive things happening here in Ulster County.”

Ulster comptroller faults Social Services Department - The Daily Freeman News: Serving the Hudson Valley since 1871(DailyFreeman.com)

Ulster comptroller faults Social Services Department - The Daily Freeman News: Serving the Hudson Valley since 1871(DailyFreeman.com)

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Day care director faces up to year in county jail - The Daily Freeman News: Serving the Hudson Valley since 1871(DailyFreeman.com)

Day care director faces up to year in county jail - The Daily Freeman News: Serving the Hudson Valley since 1871(DailyFreeman.com)

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Ulster County lost $4,744, audit reveals | recordonline.com

Ulster County lost $4,744, audit reveals | recordonline.com

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DSS AUDIT REVEALS MISSING MONEY

COMPTROLLER UNCOVERS FLAWS IN SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAM

Poor Internal Controls May Have Contributed to Missing Money

KINGSTON, NY (August 27, 2009)… Comptroller Elliott Auerbach has released his audit of the Ulster County Department of Social Services’ Medicaid Spend-Down Program. The report identifies a lack of written policies and procedures on file for staff to follow, duties not sufficiently segregated to provide appropriate checks and balances, inadequate safeguards for cash collection, deposits not made timely, receipts not always issued and a failed receipting system.

“We found a significant lack of management oversight to insure that this Program, which is designed to handle tens of thousands of dollars in client monies, is run efficiently and effectively,” said Auerbach.

Early in his first term as County Comptroller, Elliott Auerbach learned of a February 2008 reported theft of $1,320.00 from twenty-one client accounts which prompted his audit of the Program.

“In the course of this audit my staff uncovered an additional $3,424.30 in cash receipts from another fifty-three client accounts not deposited,” explained the Comptroller. “DSS lacks both a system and a secure collection facility and is finally addressing those issues nearly eighteen months after reporting the theft.”

The audit also found that the Medicaid Spend-Down accounts entered into NYS’s Welfare Management System are not reconciled against Ulster County’s accounting system and the DSS Accounting Department’s subsidiary record of each client’s history.

“When accounts are not reconciled we cannot be sure all transactions have been properly recorded and this is not acceptable practice,” said Auerbach.

“It was also troubling to learn that the required recertification process instituted by the New York State Department of Health was not followed,” said Auerbach. The audit found that client identification and citizenship were not always being verified based on reports received from the Federal Social Security Administration.

A survey of Medicaid employees, included in the report, disclosed that case workers feel that case loads are excessive, resulting in a suffering morale. Employees also cited slow and cumbersome technology resources and ineffective allocation of duties as key concerns.

While acknowledging that the County’s financial management system is grossly inadequate and contributes to some of the challenges cited in the audit, the Comptroller stated his expectation “that departments have a responsibility to insure appropriate care, custody and control of client and County funds.”

The Medicaid Spend-Down Program is a pay-in plan unique to New York State that provides coverage for medical related expenses for Medicaid eligible individuals.

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FRAUD UNCOVERED IN SAUGERTIES DAY CARE...
(Ulster County Release)
Kingston, NY (August 27, 2009) - Melissa Scott, Co-director of Wolf’s Daycare
Center was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly submitting bills totaling $10,566
to the Ulster County Department of Social Services. She was charged with a
misdemeanor for falsifying business records in the second degree and was arraigned
in the Town of Ulster Court before the Honorable Susan Kesick. The matter has been
adjourned to a later date.

The charges were filed after a six month investigation conducted by the Ulster County
Department of Social Services Special Investigations Unit, the Town of Ulster Police
Department and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services Childcare Unit.

The charges stemmed from bills that were submitted for services to children that were
allegedly not rendered.