January 28, 2022
To:
The Honorable Kathy Hochul
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Cc:
Honorable Thomas P. DiNapoli, Comptroller
Honorable Leticia James, Attorney General
Dr. Mary Bassett, Commissioner, NYS Department of Health
Jeannette Moy, Acting Commissioner, Office of General Services
Dear Governor Hochul,
On November 5, 2021, a 10-year lease was signed between NYS DOH and Lebov LLC located at 90 Crystal Run Road in Middletown, Orange County.
The lessee is the NYS DOH, for use by NYS DOH’s Environmental Health Monticello District Office. “State District Offices carry out environmental health protection programs in the 21 counties that do not deliver environmental health services through county or city health departments. They ensure that suitable water, food, housing and recreational facilities are provided to the public. The District Offices identify, investigate and resolve actual and potential health hazards caused by environmental factors. Regional Offices provide technical and program support, as well as monitor and evaluate implementation of environmental health protection programs in District Offices and local health departments within the regional jurisdiction.” The Monticello District office has to date been located at 50 North Street, Suite 2, Monticello 12701. It is important to note that Sullivan County, as a partial service health department, relies on the NYS DOH Center for Environmental Health for all their environmental services. The other counties in the Metropolitan Area Region, of which Sullivan County is a part, all have full-service health departments and therefore their own environmental health programs.
Health has been an issue of concern for Sullivan County for years, even before the opioid epidemic and the COVID pandemic. Sullivan County ranks 61st of 62 NY counties in health outcomes.
The cost of the new lease will be $2,274,950 over the ten years. The area leased is 7516 sf. The Monticello facility, located in downtown Monticello, has 6411 sf. Although the square footage is slightly greater, the cost will be significantly more: over 10 years, the overall increase in price will be 21.82%. It is unclear whether there was a fair and transparent RFP for this lease.
We are residents of Sullivan County, and we represent the Democrats in Sullivan County as the duly elected Sullivan County Democratic Committee. We have spoken with Sullivan County’s elected officials—at the State, County and local levels—and we have canvassed our residents. No one is in favor of this move. To the contrary, all find it ill-advised. It will put Sullivan County residents’ lives at risk. We respectfully request that this decision to move the Monticello District environmental health services to Orange County be reversed.
Sincerely,
Anne Hart
Chair