By JEANETTE WOLFBERG
HUDSON–A housing survey, opioid abatement funds, and 11 Warren Street received attention at the Columbia County Board of Supervisors meeting June 12.
The board authorized applying to the Office of Community Renewal for a grant of up to $50,000, “to contract with a consultant who will” survey the conditions of current housing in the county to find out what repairs it could use. The County Board “is committed to preserving the county’s existing housing stock,” says the resolution.
Right before the meeting, the board conducted a public hearing on this matter. The only speaker was Chris Brown, Housing Development Coordinator for the Columbia Economic Development Corporation. He said that the survey will be done on a sample of housing. The results will tell which repairs need to be done, to preserve the housing stock. Knowing what repair work should be done will let the county know which additional grants to apply for to make the repairs.
The board also authorized the Department of Human Services to spend OASAS (New York State Office of Addiction and Support Services) Regional Abatement funds on contracts with two specific organizations. $49,200 is to go to Columbia Pathways to Recovery for rental assistance and finding a new program director. $21,000 is to go to People USA for a substance abuse marketing campaign. Pathways to Recovery’s website defines it as a grassroots organization that provides “resources for individuals and families impacted by” substance abuse. People USA’s website defines it as “a peer-run mental health non-profit” with “its own innovative crisis-response and wellness services.”
The county has also allocated opioid settlement funds toward establishing an Oxford House (article May 16) and ReEntry Columbia (article March 28).
On another topic, some people came to the meeting to urge a dialogue between the county and the people of Hudson about the future of 11 Warren Street. The county purchased the building from Galvan last fall and plans to use it for departmental offices and voting machine storage. But the City of Hudson “felt somewhat blindsided,” said Tom DePietro, president of Hudson’s Common Council. People want to speak more about the plans before construction begins. Hudson Supervisors on the board spoke in favor of dialogue and transparency too. Concerned citizens have formed the informal Eleven Warren Street Action Group around this issue.
Also at the meeting, the Board:
•Re-appointed David Harrison to the County Board of Health for six years until April 30, 2030. His previous term on it was expiring. Mr. Harrison is County Director of Emergency Management
•Re-appointed Elena Mosley as a Civil Service Commissioner for June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2030. Her current term on it expires May 31, 2024
•Authorized the Facilities Department to purchase new software for opening doors of county buildings with electronic key cards, for up to $86,994.57 in ARPA funds. The new software is expected to work better and have more tech support, while allowing users to keep the same key cards, said Facilities Director Brian McDonald on June 17. He added that in about a month the new system should be available to install, building by building.
The purpose of ARPA (the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) is to speed up recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 crisis and the recession
•Authorized the sheriff to replace an old braising pan with a new tilting skillet braising pan for the county jail, for up to $18,175
•Authorized “all necessary agreements, certifications,” and funding requests for construction on Rossman Road over Kinderhook Bridge Creek Replacement in Stockport
•Authorized an agreement on behalf of the Department of Social Services (DSS) for the operation and staffing of the new warming center in Hudson. The warming center opened in March this year for a month, and DSS Director Robert Gibson anticipated opening it this November for the whole winter, in a conversation June 17
•Authorized re-opening bidding for constructing the new 911 call center addition at the Fire Training Center. The bids received in the first round “exceeded the County’s Budget” for the work, according to an evaluation that the project architect, LaBella Associates, gave the County Commissioner of Public Works.