“Bob, I would like to thank you for your service on the Budget Gap Committee. It was clear that you put politics aside and came to this Committee prepared to work toward a solution to the County’s financial problems.” David B. Donaldson, Chairman Ulster County Legislature

This term Bob has been a member of the ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE which is responsible for the internal departmental services, including the offices of Purchasing/Central Services, Insurance and Safety. Further jurisdiction includes general public services including the offices of Real Property Tax Service Agency and Information Services. Bob has been the Deputy Chairman of the Criminal Justice and Safety Committee which is responsible for all phases of criminal justice and the court system within the County, as well as the related functions and departments, including the Sheriff’s Department, Alternative Sentencing Program, Probation, District Attorney, Public Defender, all the Courts, Community Corrections, Stop DWI, Consumer Fraud and Weights and Measurers. Also to be responsible for the activities of the Fire Coordinator’s Office/Civil Defense and the Traffic Safety Board and to be the liaison with the Arson Task force and Emergency Management Services. In addition to his standing oversight committees, he as also served on the Budget Committee responsible for coming up with new revenue streams without affecting the property tax and additionally making cuts in the most painless way possible. Cuts made in this committee amounted to $3 million and the opportunity to generate $4.5 million dollars in much needed new revenue. Chairman Donaldson said of Bob, “it was clear that you put politics aside and came to this Committee prepared to work toward a solution to the County’s financial problems.” Given our experience in providing health coverage throughout New York , CDPHP supports Saugerties Republican Ulster County Legislator Robert Aiello’s recent remarks to the Freeman.” William J. Cromie Terri L.Leahey Albany The writers are president/CEO and executive assistant to the president/CEO, respectively, of CDPHP Bob also served on a committee responsible for finding new and creative ways to reduce health insurance costs for County employees. While the committee is still working and waiting to hear from a study that was put out for an RFP on consolidation of groups and creative insurance administration, nearly $2 million was saved in changing the structure of the current system through changes in co-pays and deductibles, all with the help of the County’s 2000 employees. Perhaps the time consuming and work intensive committee that Bob Aiello serves as Deputy Chairman of is the Special Committee investigation the cost and schedule overruns on the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center, otherwise known as UCLEC. The committee has been meeting weekly, sometimes twice a week, with meetings lasting up to 7 hours. In many cases Bob has missed work to be at these extremely important meetings. The committee has set a 15 week time-frame for concluding its work and has retained John Mavretich as its investigation consultant. The County Attorney is also a member of the committee as well as a volunteer worker who maintains records of the meeting mostly held in executive session because of the extremely sensitive nature of its work. The committee has a potential list of 50 people to be interviewed by Mr. Mavretich, with some interviews scheduled for the public. The committee has the power to call witnesses and will work with the District Attorney in the event criminality becomes an issue in the largest project conducted in County history. Bob said the committee is an absolutely exhaustive venture that requires in addition to work done in committee, a schedule of work to be completed at home, between committee meetings. The committee will make its report to the Ulster County Legislature and the public on or around September 15, 2007.