Board of Supervisors v. State Department of Social Services

58 Misc. 2d 48, 294 N.Y.S.2d 734, 1968 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1283
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Board of Supervisors v. State Department of Social Services. Read the opinion of the Court — 58 Misc. 2d 45
New York Supreme Court·Decided July 29, 1968·Published

Opinion

Carrollton A. Roberts, J.

This is an application by order to show cause for reargument of a petition by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Seneca for an article 78 review of certain actions by the State Department of Social Services and the State Board of Social Welfare. In a prior memorandum, this court, upon the first argument of this matter, concluded that the actions of the department, and the State Board of Social Welfare, were legislative in character and not subject to article 78 review and by reason thereof dismissed the petition of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Seneca. The petitioner was, however, given leave to commence whatever further action it might have for review or declaratory judgment and to introduce whatever additional proof was available to it. The show cause order applying for reargument includes certain exhibits which were not before this court on the first argument of this application. These exhibits mainly consist of certain regulations of the Department of Social Services which petitioner argues govern the disposition of this matter by the department and State Board of Social Welfare and which petitioner concludes demonstrate that the action sought to be reviewed was administrative, and not legislative as the court originally decided. By reason of the introduction of this additional material, the court was constrained to grant the motion for reargument and reargument proceeded forthwith.

Petitioner argues that the action of the department, and State Board of Social Welfare, in ruling Mr. Dombrowski unqualified for the position of Seneca County Commissioner of Social Services was an illegal act insofar as the only question before Mr. Olnick, the Rochester area Director of the State Department of Social Services, was whether the salary of Mr. Dombrowski would be reimbursed by the State to the county. Admitting the applicability of section 116 of the Social Services Law setting forth miTn'rrmm qualifications for a Commissioner of Social Services and the implementing provisions of section 17 and subdivision (c) thereof of the Social Services Law, petitioner nonetheless contends that the local representative of the Department of Social Services did not purport to act under these powers but rather was acting solely under a regulation relating to salary reimbursement. Petitioner further points out that the actions of the State Department of Social Services were accomplished without a hearing. In making this argument, however, the petitioner is not being entirely candid with this court since on the prior application and again on this reargument petitioner had submitted a typewritten statement by Richard S. Dombrowski which was annexed to the P.T.-42 payroll reim[50]*50bursement form submitted to the State Department of Social Services. Mr. Dombrowski’s statement began with the following language: “ The following will docuibent my four years of responsible full time paid experience in an administrative or management position where there was a responsibility for planning, directing and coordinating the work of a substantial staff working in several units or performing several separate functions in compliance with Chapter 98.72 in the Rules of the State Board of Social Welfare with regards to my appointment to Commissioner of Social Services in Seneca County, for a period of five years, in. accordance with Section 116 of the Social Services Law.” There was therefore absolutely no question that Mr. Dombrowski understood the so-called salary reimbursement application as including his certification pursuant to rule 98.72 of the State Board of Social Welfare (18 NYCRR 98.72). Moreover, it should be noted that the form in question, P.T.-42, is captioned with the following language: ‘ ‘ Requests for personnel approval, or notification of status change.” Whether or not it was so intended, the form was an application for a review pursuant to section 116 of the Social Services Law, particularly with respect to the minimum standards set forth in rule 98.72 of the State Board of Social Welfare.

Petitioner also argues that certain regulations annexed to its show cause order indicate that there is a right to judicial review of what are termed “ fair hearings ” by regulations enacted to implement the Social Services Law and that by reason of this fact petitioner has been denied a right to judicial review. These regulations, however, are by their express terms inapplicable to the instant situation insofar as rule 84.3 (18 NYCRR 84.3) states that only “ applicants for or recipients of aid to dependent children, aid to the aged, blind or disabled, medical assistance for needy persons, home relief or veterans assistance ” are entitled to “fair hearings” with their consequent judicial review. These regulations have nothing to do with the instant situation and their reservation in rule 84.16 (18 NYCRR 84.16) that the letter transmitting the decision should by “clear reference ” indicate “ availability of judicial review ” again is inapplicable to the case at bar.

Mr. Dombrowski has had a determination of his qualifications by the State Department of Social Services and th'e State Board of Social.Welfare; and further as was pointed out in this court’s prior memorandum, Mr. Dombrowski on June 17, 1968, in the company of the representatives of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Seneca, was given the statutory review hearing provided for in section 20 of the Social Services Law. Mr. [51]*51Olnick, the area Director of the Department of Social Services, informed Mr. Dombrowski by letter dated the 22d day of January, 1968, that his qualifications had been thoroughly reviewed and that it was the decision of the State Department of Social Services that he failed to meet the minimum qualifications for the position of local Commissioner of Social Services as set forth in rule 98.72. Specifically, Mr. Dombrowski was found not to have ‘ four years of responsible full-time paid experience in an administrative or management position, where there is a responsibility for planning, directing, and co-ordinating the work of a substantial staff working in several units or performing sevéral separate functions.” That letter continued that “ your experience as a claims-adjuster for Goulds Pumps, Inc., and department supervisor for Sylvania Electric Products, Inc., were supervisory positions and as such, do not constitute administrative or management positions as defined in the Board Buie in part quoted above. ’ ’ The resolution of the State Board of Social Welfare, adopted after the section 20 statutory hearing for the Board of Supervisors of the County of Seneca and Mr. Dombrowski, again set forth in conclusory form that Mr. Dombrowski failed to meet the minimum requirements of rule 98.72 of the Buies of the State Board of Social Welfare. Neither the Board of Supervisors nor Mr. Dombrowski was entitled to any further hearing pursuant to the terms of the Social Services Law. Insofar as the applicable provisions of the Social Services Law failed to provide that either the Commissioner or the board or the local area representative of the Department of Social Services must make findings after such determinations, no findings were necessary within the meaning of the statutory provisions in question. (Matter of Mid-Island Hosp. v. Wyman, 25 AD 2d 765, 767 [2d Dept., 1966].)

By electing to reargue the motion on additional papers but essentially on the same ground as previously asserted before this court, petitioner has availed itself of the permission given by this court’s prior memorandum to institute whatever further actions it may have and to introduce whatever additional proof was available to it.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Board of Supervisors v. State Department of Social Services, 58 Misc. 2d 48, 294 N.Y.S.2d 734, 1968 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1283 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1968).

58 Misc. 2d 48 (Board of Supervisors v. State Department of Social Services) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Waldstreicher v. Michaelian
52 Misc. 2d 711 (New York Supreme Court, 1967)
Mid-Island Hospital v. Wyman
25 A.D.2d 765 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1966)
State Board of Social Welfare v. City of Newburgh
28 Misc. 2d 539 (New York Supreme Court, 1961)
Albany Medical Center Hospital v. Schreck
49 Misc. 2d 1011 (New York Supreme Court, 1966)