The Albany County Legislature hereby adopts the following criteria
as a method of selecting new older workers who wish to participate
in the County Program of Senior Community Service Employment upon
the effective date of this chapter.
A. The term "eligible individual" shall mean a needy person who is of
modest or low income immediately prior to enrollment, and shall include
any such individual whose individual and/or household income, exclusive
of any wages from the enrollee program, is below 175% of the annual
poverty criteria established by the Federal Office of Management and
Budget, for such categories of worker.
B. The term "eligible individual" shall mean a person aged 65 or older
who is a resident of Albany County. Individuals who are aged 55 years
or older who are retired from the New York State Retirement System
may also qualify if they meet other relevant eligibility criteria.
C. The term "eligible individual" shall mean an older worker who is
physically and mentally fit to engage in productive work, as determined
by pre-employment medical and physical exams conducted annually thereafter.
D. The term "eligible individual" shall mean an applicant individual,
who in all other respects, save those stated above, meets the enrollment
and subsequent employment criteria established by the federal government
for older workers who wish to participate in the Older American's
Act Senior Community Services Employment Program.
E. To the extent feasible, such projects will serve the needs of minority,
limited-English-speaking and Indian eligible individuals in proportion
to their numbers in the County and take into consideration their rates
of poverty and unemployment.
The Albany County Department for Aging Community Service Employment
Program shall continue to provide all participating employees with
the same leave benefits, fringe benefits and grievance options granted
to other categories of County employees.
Currently enrolled Senior Community Service Employment Program
employees shall be exempt from meeting newly enacted eligibility criteria,
as stated above.
The Albany County Department for Aging is authorized to engage
in various training activities and transitional employment activities
which will create private sector employment for older workers eligible
to participate in the Senior Community Service Employment Program.
Such activities shall include arranging for the participation of selected
older workers in job search and job club activities, outstationing
of selected older workers in private sector employment opportunities
for initial training and orientation and initiating contracts for
the same, in amounts not to exceed $2,000 per selected employee.