The Town of Geneva has approved a shared services agreement with Ontario County that will allow the town to meet state public health requirements without hiring its own public health officer.
Under the agreement, Kate Ott, who works with Ontario County Public Health, will serve as the Town of Geneva’s public health officer. Town Supervisor Mark Venuti says every municipality is required to have a designated public health officer, and the shared services arrangement allows the town to fulfill that obligation efficiently.
As part of the process, the town passed a resolution appointing Ott to the role and will submit the required paperwork to the New York State Department of Health. Venuti says the agreement saves the town the cost of hiring and paying a separate public health officer, while still ensuring access to professional public health expertise.
Venuti added that if any public health issues arise within the town, Ott would respond on the town’s behalf through the county health department.
