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Article 22-B - Erie County Community Coordinating Council on Children and Families - Charter

Section 22-B-01. Legislative declaration of policy.
  22-B-02. Establishment, powers and duties.
  22-B-03. Membership, meetings.
  22-B-04. The County Executive.
  22-B-05. Staff.

Section 22-B-01. Legislative declaration of policy. It is hereby declared to be the public policy of Erie County, New York, to take all proper measures to preserve and strengthen the family unit and to aid in the establishment of a nurturing environment to encourage the proper development of children.

To further this policy the Erie County government provides evaluation, treatment and preventative services to the children and families of Erie County.

The Erie County legislature finds that this policy and these services can be more effectively administered and efficiently delivered by systematic coordination among the local government, public voluntary system of social, educational, health, mental health and other supportive and rehabilitative services to children and families.

The services system can be strengthened by:

  1. Fostering cooperation among local government and both public and voluntary agencies to provide better coordination supervision of services to children and families.
  2. Eliminating duplication of services where possible and maximizing service provisions through judicious use of tax dollars, grants and other funding mechanisms as may become available.
  3. Stressing more meaningful accountability by providers, in all sectors, regarding the quality and quantity of services provided to children and families.
  4. Improving methods of ascertaining community needs and setting program goals as they relate to services for children and families.

Section 22-B-02. Establishment, powers and duties. There is hereby created, the Erie County Community Coordinating Council on Children and Families, hereafter called Council. The Council shall:

  1. Develop a methodology to evaluate, monitor and ascertain the effectiveness of current programs in children's services.
  2. Identify problems and deficiencies in existing services and recommend corrective action.
  3. Improve coordination of program and fiscal resources within the children's services system.
  4. Act as a liaison between county governmental units, public voluntary programs and the state and federal government, fostering better communication between all involved.
  5. Review and resolve administrative, and where appropriate, regulatory differences between agencies.
  6. Develop long range plans to improve services to children and families. This should be accomplished through a five year comprehensive service plan similar to those utilized by County departments.
  7. Act as a forum for community discussion of issues pertaining to services for children and families.
  8. Carry out any and all activities deemed necessary to accomplish the goals of the Council as stated herein.

Section 22-B-03. Membership; meetings.  The Council shall consist of the following members: the Erie County Commissioners of Youth, Social Services, Health and Mental Health, the Director of the Office for the Disabled and the Chief Clerk from the Erie County Family Court, three consumer/client representatives, and five representatives from local charitable and/or community based organizations concerned with children and families, the Director of the Office of Probation, one representative from a suburban school district and two representatives from the Youth Planning Council of Buffalo and the President of the United Way Agency Executives Association, a representative of the Western New York School Board Association and four members of the business community.

The Legislature shall appoint the eight community representatives and two representatives of the business community as follows: six to be named by the majority and four to be named by the minority.  Five of these members shall serve two year terms and five shall serve three year terms.  These members can only be reappointed once.

The County Executive shall appoint the one representative from a suburban school district and the two representatives from the Youth Planning Council of Buffalo and the President of the United Way Agency Executives Association, a representative of the Western New York School Board Association and two representatives of the business community.

The chair shall be appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by the Legislature, and shall not be one of the twenty four members previously stated.

The Council shall have the authority to appoint ad hoc council members to advise them, as they may deem necessary.

The Council shall have at least four meetings each year with at least one meeting to be in each quarter of the year.  The Council shall adopt rules and procedures for its meetings; shall keep accurate records of its meetings and activities, and shall file an annual report with the County Legislature and the County Executive.

The Council shall convene for its first meeting in the quarter of the year in which they are appointed.  The Council shall present its first report to the Legislature before adoption of the annual budget in the year they are appointed, and on every year thereafter on June first.

The annual report shall include the methodology for acquiring accurate statistics, which the Council will use to evaluate and plan for services.  Also, they should report any short term budget recommendations for the nineteen hundred ninety three budget.

The Council shall then make yearly budget recommendations and five year service plans.

Section 22-B-04. The County Executive. The County Executive shall require any County department, division, board, council, committee, authority or agency, or other unit or any agency or organization receiving County funding, to provide such facilities, assistance and data as will enable the commission to properly effectuate its powers and duties under this article.

Section 22-B-05. Staff. The Council shall be provided with a coordinator, under the auspices of the County Executive to serve the Council in capacities which include managing the correspondence of the Council; providing a schedule of meeting dates; distributing a calendar of information on programs and events members may be interested in attending. The coordinator shall also serve as research assistant, and coordinate and implement the use of the monitoring mechanism, so that the Council shall have service and program data to use in its planning efforts. The Council and its coordinator shall also have access to secretarial staff as needed to complete its tasks.

Amended by Local Law 1-2017.

Amended by Local Law 3-2014

Amended by Local Law No. 3 1992.

Amended by Local Law No. 7 1990.

Added by Local Law No. 4 1988.

 

Article 22-C was formerly numbered article 23-C, which was formerly numbered Article XVI-F.