On Wednesday, October 31 the Ulster County legislative committee that oversees the Department of Social Services (DSS) met with the department's commissioner, Roberto Rodriguez, in the Ulster County Government Building in Kingston. Among the topics for discussion was the possibility of financing a one-year pilot program that would place a full-time and fully staffed office on the fourth floor of the recently opened Ellenville Government Center.

Also in attendance that night was a large number of DSS workers that listened with great interest as Kevin Dumond, president of local union CSEA #8950, the union that represents DSS workers, voiced concerns about moving workers to the Ellenville area. In particular, Dumond raised a series of security issues that he and his fellow union members said they would need rectified prior to being comfortable with the move.

Dumond, in a dramatic piece of theater, pretended to be a disgruntled individual who received benefits and walked into the Ellenville Government Center. "Bang! You're dead. Bang! You're dead. Bang! You're dead," he yelled as he made the shape of a gun with his thumb and index finger.

"Now how many people did I just kill in less than ten seconds?" he asked his audience.

DSS employees nodded their heads in agreement while the assembled Ulster County legislators looked around uncomfortably. Among the list of security provisions the union requested was a dedicated police presence on the floor, a metal detector and security cameras.

"Other counties have gone out of their way to protect one group of employees, social service workers," Dumond continued as he referenced a New York Times article that recounted the story of a, "truck driver who claimed that child-support payments had ruined his life," fatally shot four female DSS employees whose job it was to track down deadbeat dads. The article was from October 16, 1992 and took place in Cuyahoga County.

In addition to security concerns, some Ulster County legislators expressed some reluctance at paying an estimated $19,200 at $12 per square foot for the 1,600 square foot space.

"I am really not interested in trying to bail out Ellenville for a project that has them so much already," one legislator said.

A document put together by union members gave a list of reasons why the Ulster County DSS should not have an office in Ellenville. The list included:

• "Family of Woodstock is located in Ellenville and New Paltz. They give clients money for bus fare to come to the DSS office in Kingston."
• "UCAT bus service is presently available. It is also under utilized by Ulster County residents. It should be promoted. This will cause a decrease in its utilization."
• "The number 1 priority is to get clients employment. There are no jobs in Ellenville."

The document issued by the CSEA #8950 union did leave some possibility open for a move to Ellenville.

"The plan has pros and cons. It is not a terrible idea! We often discussed workers from other divisions going on Wednesday with the FS workers. Before we lease space, spend money on equipment, etc. couldn't we start out small?"

DSS Commissioner Roberto Rodriguez was a strong advocate for the Ellenville pilot program saying that he felt the area's need is, "significant and, with the recent loss of jobs, will grow in the near future."

Rodriguez, along with some of the legislators, felt that the DSS employees' concerns could be dealt with given enough time and preparation. However, as the audience left that night it was clear that they did not feel the same way.

As one gentleman put it, "You can make all of the changes you want. It won't change the fact that no one wants to drive to Ellenville."

A series of quick discussions revealed that the issue of commuting was a central problem for many employees with one woman saying that she thought an overwhelming majority of DSS workers lived in Kingston and the surrounding area. She and her fellow workers made it clear that they had no interest in, "going from a 10-minute commute to an hour. Plus, the roads can get really bad down that way in the winter."

The issue was tabled until after the elections and it was decided that the legislature would invite village representatives to the next meeting to speak on behalf of Ellenville residents.

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