GREENE COUNTY YOUTH BUREAU FUNDING 2024-2025 REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

The Greene County Youth Bureau is a division of the Greene County Department of Human  Services that assists in both the development and implementation of programs and services for  youth (ages 6 – 17/18 for sports; age 21 for youth development). The major responsibilities of the  Youth Bureau include advocacy and the funding of programs aimed at improving & enhancing the  welfare of Greene County youth and families. The Greene County Youth Bureau is funded in part  by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, the Greene County Legislature and donations.  The Youth Bureau is supported by the Greene County Youth Advisory Board (YAB) with the  purpose of developing and recommending policies and procedures that guide the activities of the  Youth Bureau in providing opportunities to improve the lives of Greene County youth and  families. In addition, the Advisory Board reviews youth program applications and makes funding  recommendations based on the guidance provided by NYS Office of Children and Family Services  (OCFS). Requests for funding from youth programs serving Greene County youth are open to any  501(c)(3) (Non-profit tax-exempt charitable organization per IRS).  

NYS OCFS encourages a wide variety of youth programs including, but not limited to, the  following:  

• Community, Citizenship and Civic Engagement  

• Economic Security and Employment 

• Physical, Mental and Emotional Health 

• Education (“out-of-school time” programming to support educational engagement like  drop-out prevention services, etc.)  

• Family  

Programs eligible for funding must meet the following criteria:  

● Serve youth within a specific age based on funding avenue.  

● Provide community-level services, opportunities, and supports designed to promote positive  youth development.  

● Have a non-discrimination policy and not deny youth services based on ethnicity/race,  political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or other  disability, national origin, or any protected characteristic under local, state, and/or federal law.  ● Collect data, including participant demographic information, as required by OCFS in a  manner that allows for accurate reporting of anonymized aggregate data.  

● Demonstrate competency in the areas of governance, monitoring and evaluation, partnership,  and financial stewardship.  

• Sports programs eligible for funding must have a child protection policy in place that  includes adherence to local city, agency, school district, and state child protection guidelines.  

There are 3 distinct avenues of funding: Youth Development Programs, Youth Sports &  Education Funding, and Youth Team Sports Allocation Funding. 

• Youth Development Programs (YDP) – Greene County will receive $44,657 from NYS  for programs and initiatives that enable youth to build on their strengths; provide  opportunities for youth to gain important life skills and core competencies, and that allow youth to have meaningful roles in their communities; initiatives that benefit young people  in their homes and neighborhoods, in schools, as well as in foster care and residential  treatment. 

• Youth Sports & Education (YSEF) - Greene County will receive $20,000 from NYS for  programs that provide a variety of sports for a broad range of youth; encourages a wide and  flexible definition of sports that includes organized activities with movement, including  physical fitness activities including but not limited to yoga, hiking, dance, and active  outdoors pursuits. 

• Youth Team Sports Allocation (YTS) - Greene County will receive $18,989 from NYS  to provide awards to support youth team sports programs; intended to provide support to  local team sports programs across New York state in communities where such programs  may be scarce. Unlike YSEF, YTS has a sole focus on team sports. For the purposes of  YTS, a “team sport” is defined as an organized physical activity in which groups of two or  more individuals are in competition with two or more opposing individuals. Sporting  activities where individuals engage in competition on behalf of an organized group (such  as singles tennis, team golf, or racing sports such as swimming or skiing) are included in  this definition.  

Line-item budgets should focus on programming costs, including, but not limited to, the  following:  

➢ Coaches/instructors/direct service staff/mentors (including training/professional  development) necessary to support youth’s ability to participate in team sports.  ➢ Referee fees.  

➢ Purchase of equipment or uniforms.  

➢ Purchase of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) by local nonprofit or  community-based organizations to support the requirements of Chapter 681 of the  Laws of 2023, as amended by Chapter 9 of the Laws of 2024.  

Applications are now being accepted for programs serving Greene County youth that will  operate between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025. Interested parties should apply to  the Greene County Department of Human Services by September 30, 2024. All submitted  applications will be reviewed by the Greene County Youth Advisory Board at their October and  November 2024 meetings. Any applications received after the deadline will be reviewed only if  funding remains. Recipients of 2023-2024 funding will not be considered for 2024-2025 if they  have not completed all past requirements for grants. Applicants will be notified of awards,  around mid-November to early December 2024. Awarded funding is released following the  completion of the program, monitoring and all required documentation being submitted. 

All applications must include: 

□ OCFS-5001 Program Application (Municipalities are to be signed by Chief Elected Official).  □ OCFS-5002 Program Profile 

□ OCFS-5003 Program Components 

□ OCFS-5005 Program Budget 

□ List of current Board members with contact information and employer noted.

□ List of board members or staff who are authorized to sign claims. 

YSEF & YTS ONLY: 

▪ All of above 

▪ OCFS 5011 – Universal Sports Funding Application 

The required forms required are available on the county website: Youth Funding Information |  Greene Government 

Completed applications with signatures should be submitted to Greene County Human Services  (Youth Bureau), 411 Main Street, Catskill N. Y. 12414, Attention: Maureen Murphy/Office  Manager. If your application packet will be the same as in the past, kindly send us an email &  state you wish your 2024 grant “recycled”. In this case, we will only require Form OCFS-5001  with an original signature mailed to: Greene County Human Services (Youth Bureau), 411 Main  Street, Catskill N. Y. 12414. Response must be made to mmurphy@greenecountyny.gov.  

The Greene DHS Office Manager will receive and review all applications submitted to ensure the  required paperwork is complete. The Department of Human Services and Greene County Youth  Advisory Board reserve the right to reject or to seek modification of any application if it does not  meet overall service and performance objectives.  

All complete applications will be considered by the Greene County Youth Advisory Board.  Applicants, if requested, must present supplemental information clarifying their applications,  either in writing or in a presentation. If requests exceed the monetary amount from NYS, a  reduction based on available funding will be made. Awards may be appealed by submitting in  writing a request to the Executive Director of the Department of Human Services within ten (10)  days of the award announcement. All appeals will be reviewed by the Executive Committee of the  YAB within fourteen (14) days of receiving the appeal.  

CONTRACT: 

A contract with Greene County will need to be drawn up and executed as part of the award  agreement. In the event of termination of the agreement for any reason, applicant must  (a) Account for and refund to the County, within 30 calendar days, any funds which have  been paid to the agency pursuant to its agreement with the County which are in excess of  expenses incurred prior to the notice of termination. 

(b) Not incur any further obligations pursuant to this agreement beyond the termination  date. 

(c) Submit, within 30 calendar days of termination, a full report, report of receipts,  expenditures of funds, program activities and accomplishments, and obstacles encountered  relating to this agreement.  

Assistance is available to all potential applicants. Please contact Maureen Murphy, Department  of Human Services Office Manager at (518) 719-3555, mmurphy@greenecountyny.gov if  questions.

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BETTER THAN HEARSAY - Smooth or Slippery Slope

By Michael Ryan

WINDHAM - An historically transformative public hearing is slated to take place August 15 at the Windham planning board, related to the newly-named Windham Mountain Club and its development Master Plan.

Ski slope president Chip Seamans is expected to attend the hearing along with engineers and attorneys representing the cornerstone business.

Considerable controversy has surrounded the housing and recreational Master Plan since it was unveiled by new ownership, last summer.

It revealed a move toward privatization and $175,000 memberships that sent shock waves through the community, fearing the impacts the exclusivity might have on the rural, small town’s economy.

Many unknowns surfaced about the announced construction of 60-plus luxury homes and townhouses on land that had been largely used for visiting skier parking lots.

Fears deepened as people learned about the number of parking spaces being eliminated and whether they would be replaced, continuing to welcome non-member skiers.

Those non-members include the day-trippers, weekenders and families looking for affordable fun who packed the parking lots, overflowing into adjacent highways, frequenting local restaurants and hotels.

The ski slope started its routine site plan review and approval process on December 21, 2023, before things suddenly stalled amid planning board demands for many more particulars on the massive project.

Windham Mountain was looking to move forward as soon as possible but a showdown ensued over the required State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR), which can unfold simply or become very complex.

A lengthy memo was delivered by the planning board engineer, Delaware Engineering, to Windham Mountain Club at that December 21 meeting.

The memo stated that the planning board “is not in receipt of all information it may reasonably need to make the determination of [negative or positive SEQR] significance.

“We recommend that the planning board provide [Windham Mountain Club] time to provide said information,” the memo stated.

The planning board engineer, at that time, also posted a preliminary SEQR report on the town’s website, making it clear the Master Plan, as it was formed then, was most likely going nowhere fast.

Numerous standards must be met. Virtually every box was checked “yes” in the report, declaring in no uncertain terms the Master Plan would have serious local impacts, necessitating extensive and expensive review.

The ski slope was invited back for the next planning board session, in mid-January, 2024, to begin providing the seemingly endless list of requested additional information, but they chose to wait.

Little or nothing was publicly heard from them until the past month or so as they again approached the planning board with fresh documents.

The hearsay is that conversations have been ongoing between the involved parties, trying to find middle ground before the ski slope formally returned to the planning board.

It was everybody’s wish to avoid a dragged out and potentially ugly SEQR review, instead finding a way to allay growing angst and anger within the town while letting the ski slope slowly progress with its Master Plan.

The upcoming public hearing apparently is sending the message that has been accomplished, although the final result remains to be seen.

Clarity has been added to ski slope documents on key issues regarding the maximum number of visiting skiers that will be allowed on any given day and on parking capacities (Please see related story).

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Public Hearing Slated for Controversial Windham Mountain “Master Plan”

By Michael Ryan

WINDHAM- Optimism is being expressed that a mutual understanding will be reached between the town of Windham and the Windham Mountain Club on the ski slope’s controversial Master Plan.

Ski slope officials, with their engineering and legal team, are expected to attend a local planning board public hearing on August 15, continuing a cumbersome approval process that got derailed earlier this year.

Events leading up to the public hearing (to be held at the Centre Church on Main Street in Windham, at 7 p.m), are detailed in our “Better Than Hearsay” column in this week’s Mountain Eagle.

And while the approval process is solely in the hands of the planning board, an unprecedented agreement linking the town and the ski center will apparently be part of the revised Master Plan.

The Master Plan and the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) requirements linked to it contain the following key elements:

“Windham Mountain Partners has submitted applications for subdivision review and site plan approval in connection with a proposed development”…the document states.

The housing and recreational Master Plan includes:

—Construction of sixty-six (66) residential units (46 Townhouses and 20 single-family house lots).

—Expansion of and construction of additional facilities at the Applicant’s existing Adventure Park.

—Expansion of an existing golf course (known as the Windham Golf Club) and associated maintenance facilities and changes to and expansion of the 

Applicant’s existing ski area, including private membership club, provisions for long term public access, and expansion and renovation of existing uses

including the base lodge and food services.”

The document continues: “the Applicant’s ski area and associated resort facilities have historically [been] and continue to remain critical to the Town’s local economy and sense of place.

“Multiple studies, including the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and Greene County Comprehensive Economic Development Plan, point to the Applicant’s ski area as a “key asset” and economic engine of the Town.

“The [Master Plan] project involves expansion of the Applicant’s private club, including investment in these historically important facilities but also a reduction in public access.

“The ski area will be limited to 4,000 skier visits, and private club members are expected to make up more than one-third of skier visits on peak days. 

“In addition, the Golf Course will no longer be open to the public, and other existing facilities, such as mountain biking trails in the project area, may be eliminated or replaced.

“To mitigate this impact, the Applicant proposes the following: 

—It will continue to allow access to a similar number of guests on peak days as the 2023-24 season (4,000 skiers on peak days).

—It will continue to sell daily tickets, multi-day tickets, and season passes to the public as part of the Project.

—Based on the information provided by the Applicant and included in the record, this equates to approximately 2,500 tickets (at a minimum) that would be available to the public.

—It will continue to guarantee tickets to any guest staying in 7 local lodging properties as well as the Winwood Inn and Condos.

—It will continue to provide free winter season passes to students of the Windham-Ashland-Jewett Central School and continue its partnership with the Adaptive Sports Foundation, the Windham Foundation and the SHRED Foundation.

“The Applicant has represented that it will confirm its commitment to these mitigation measures in a Development Agreement with the Town of Windham,” the document states.

“It is anticipated these commitments will also be reflected in conditions to any local permits or approvals that are granted for the Project. 

“With this mitigation incorporated in the Project design, public access to the ski area in the future will not be eliminated; it will be maintained at this level to ensure public access to this important recreational resource.

“Maintaining public access to the ski area also mitigates potential impacts to businesses that line the Town’s historic Main Street and add to the area’s distinct character. 

“With commitments to maintain a minimum level of public access to the ski mountain incorporated into the Project, other local business will continue to make investments in upkeep and improvements of this vitally important community center and hub of community and economic activity.”

In regard to parking, the Master Plan states: “the Project involves a combination of improvements to existing parking facilities, redevelopment of existing parking facilities and construction of new facilities. 

“According to information supplied by the Applicant, the number of existing parking spaces is 1,920 and is expected to decrease by a total of 286 to 1,634 as a result of the Project. 

“The Applicant’s parking plan shows that parking will be provided at the Residential Development site at a rate of three (3) spaces per unit, or 198 spaces for the proposed sixty-six (66) units.

“Public parking, therefore, will be reduced by a total of 484 spaces, or about 25%. According to information supplied by the Applicant, each owner of the sixty-six (66) units will be offered membership in the proposed expanded private club which will likely offset the loss of public parking.

“The Applicant has supplied a parking plan and narrative illustrating a

requirement, at a maximum 4,000 skier visits, for between 1,082…and 1,487 vehicles…on peak days.

“As a result of the Project, the proposed 1,627 total spaces should be

sufficient to accommodate the number of vehicles for a 4,000 skier peak day, with about 1,429 spaces available for the public and 198 available for club members,” the document states.

The updated Master Plan, as it relates to the SEQR process, is available for viewing in its entirety on the town of Windham website.

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LEGISLATURE STUFF - Youth Fair Reverberations

By Michael Ryan

CAIRO - Nobody is waiting for the future to get here to secure the presence and viability of the Greene County Youth Fair as well as the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene counties.

Greene County legislature members were in attendance at the recent 70th anniversary of the Youth Fair, held in late July and still reverberating.

They were joined by State Senator Michelle Hinchey and Assemblyman Chris Tague, providing continuing support for the agriculture-based celebration, the last free festival of its kind in New York.

Children, keeping with a long tradition, “showed” their goats, cows and chickens, hoping to win coveted Blue Ribbons.

Awards were presented by the Greene County Youth Advisory Board to youngsters from throughout the county, identified as “caring, dedicated individuals whose efforts and accomplishments should be recognized.”

While all that and more was unfolding, time was taken to unofficially break ground on a new storage facility for the Youth Fair and fatten the piggy bank of the combined Cooperative Extension services.

Greene County lawmakers, last month, approved $225,0000 for the construction of a Youth Fair “Butler Building.”

It is expected official groundbreaking will take place next spring at Angelo Canna Park in Cairo, current site of the Youth Fair.

County lawmakers have a lengthy history of Youth Fair financial support, annually setting aside thousands of dollars for operational costs.

Lawmaker Harry Lennon (District 8, Cairo) is particularly committed to the event, located in his home district and hometown, consistently urging the legislature to keep pace with necessary increases.

“The Youth Fair is and always has been important to Greene County,” Lennon says, noting improvements have recently been made to the electrical system and road paving at the Park.

“At the end of the day, this is about children,” Lennon says, with literally generations of families taking part over the past seven decades.

This year, the great-grandsons of Fair founder Alfred Partridge were in the makeshift barnyards set up on the grounds of the Park, mingling with kindred spirits from the farming community.

The planned Butler Building will be built on a small hill near an existing structure that hosts the Youth Fair’s yearly craft exhibit.

“It will allow the organizers to consolidate equipment and materials now spread out over 27 areas,” county administrator Shaun Groden says.

The legislative resolution indicates $175,000 of the allotted expenditure will come from nickel returns on bottle deposits at county waste transfer stations with $50,000 from an existing infrastructure account.

And on the subject of money, Senator Hinchey was on hand, as usual, for Youth Fair Opening Day ceremonies, carrying a large check for the combined Cornell Cooperative Extension agencies.

Hinchey’s check was huge in more ways than one, being vastly over-sized for ceremonial presentation and containing $200,000 in support of the Rasmussen Outdoor Classroom.

The Outdoor Classroom will be constructed within the 142-acre “Siuslaw Model Forest” at the Agroforestry Resource Center in Acra.

It is named in honor of former and highly respected Greene County Soil & Water Conservation District board of directors chairman Eric Rasmussen.

“He is the reason we are here today,” Hinchey said of Rasmussen, unveiling the big check, noting Rasmussen’s lengthy service.

“Yes, I am the money today, but Cooperative Extension is the stewards and Eric’s dedication over the years is what made this happen,” Hinchey said.

The Outdoor Classroom will facilitate year-round educational programming for 4-H, Master Gardeners, Master Forest Owners, and the broader community, promoting place-based learning. 

Programming will focus on agroforestry, climate resilience and mitigation strategies, and specialty crops like shitake mushrooms and ginseng which thrive in woodland environments.

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Sgt. James F. Carty, DSC VFW Post 1545

Our post held its annual golf outing fundraiser, last Friday at Christman’s Windham House. It was a day of fun and at times, even some good golf. 

Speaking for my team, we were 2-under par which was 12 or so strokes off first place. With that said, our team had a great time, which is what it’s all about.

A “thank you” goes out to all who participated in the event and a special thanks to the sponsors who supported us with tee signs.

As always, our community supports the efforts of our organization. I also want to thank the entire staff at Christmans for all the work that they did to put this on for us. 

There is some mention going on in town regarding our post and at this time I would like to address it. We are having trouble membership-wise.

We need our existing members to come forward and take more interest in keeping our post moving forward.

We have members that do not attend our monthly business meetings, and no one comes forward offering to take officers positions that are imperative to operating our VFW as per our national by-laws. 

I, as commander, have been in the office much too long. We need change at the top and throughout all our officers.

No organization can operate without a group of members who work together for advancement in our goals to help other veterans.

Through members moving out of the area and the passing of our members, our membership is not growing but is declining. 

As commander, I have sent out letters to each member on our rolls to fully understand the situation we are in. At this point in the process, I am staying positive that we will be able to correct this.

We as a VFW post are a big part of our community. We have been here in Windham since 1928 for local veterans which I have documented in earlier articles. In the future I will keep progress updates for you all. 

It has been an honor to have the Windham Weekly allow me to inform you with information regarding veteran concerns and community activities we are involved with. 

This week the Bear Mountain Bridge honored Purple Heart recipients. The bridge was renamed in their honor in 2018. This is a very special honor for all who received this honor for being combat wounded. 

The Sen. Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Act is a comprehensive package that would provide healthcare and benefits for veterans, care givers and survivors.

This package has the support of both Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate but lacks the support to receive a vote in the House of Representatives. 

This is because Democrats in the Houses have yet to signal support for this legislation that could provide life-altering and life-saving benefits. 

This bill is the result of a months-long compromise between varying stakeholders and is an example of how Washington, DC negotiations should work. 

Dozens of organizations that advocate on behalf of veterans, caregivers, and survivors support this important legislation, and it deserves bipartisan AND bicameral support. 

I ask you to Take action and tell your Congressional Representatives to support the Sen. Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Act.

The Windham Rotary is holding their annual Car Show benefiting cancer research and aid at the Ashland Park this weekend. Come out and see all the cars and have fun, food and maybe even win the 50/50. 

During these troubling times please keep your thoughts and prayers with our still serving troops around the world. God Bless America. 

Marc Farmilette – Commander VFW Post 1545.

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Dynamic violin and piano duo at the “Music at Grazhda” Festival

Fillip Pagody

Pavlo Gintov

On August 17th at 8 pm, prepare to be enraptured by the dynamic violin and piano duo of Filip Pogady and Pavlo Gintov.  The concert will take place at the Music and Art Center of Greene County “Music at Grazhda” Festival. Pogady, a Slovakian-American classical violinist of acclaimed stature, has graced prestigious stages such as the Slovak Philharmonic and appeared on renowned The Late Show with David Letterman. His numerous accolades include multiple victories at the Prima La Musica competition. Joining him is Pavlo Gintov, a distinguished Ukrainian-American pianist whose virtuosity has earned him the first prize at esteemed competitions such as the Takamatsu International Piano Competition, among many others. Together, they promise an evening of musical brilliance that will captivate audiences with their remarkable synergy and artistry performing masterpieces by Brahms, Beethoven, Ysaye, Vitali and Bizet -Waxman.

For information on location, time and tickets, go to the Music and Art Center of Greene County website:  http://www.GrazhdaMusicandArt.org

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