County board approves replacement of Stuyvesant bridge

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By JEANETTE WOLFBERG

HUDSON–The Columbia County Board of Supervisors voted to proceed with replacing the historic one-lane Stuyvesant Falls Bridge with a two-lane structure, by submitting the construction plan to the NY State Department of Transportation, at its meeting December 11, where it also approved a County Budget for 2025, appointed individuals to various positions, approved two programs to give students practical experience in county departments, and heard from hotel owners concerned about the new occupancy tax.

The December 19 issue of The Columbia Paper gives details of the budget and the hotel concerns.

The Stuyvesant Falls Bridge carries County Route 25A over Kinderhook Creek. It was built in 1899 and rehabilitated in 1993, according to historicbridges.org. Now officials have determined that the bridge can no longer support the modern flow of heavy motor vehicles. However, several residents and the Historic Bridge Committee have mobilized to preserve the bridge as one lane (see December 5, article). Officials and community members have held meetings on this issue.

At the December 11 meeting, Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling (New Lebanon) requested a roll call vote on the topic because she has heard from citizens who oppose the bridge replacement, even though she herself voted for it. The vote to send the new construction plans to the state passed with two present supervisors — both from Hudson — voting against it.

The supervisors also approved the following appointments:

*To the County Planning Board, for three year terms (2025 through 2027): Patrick Ball for Chatham, Kinderhook, and Stuyvesant (Region #1) and Timothy Stalker for Austerlitz, Canaan, and New Lebanon (Region #2)

*To the county Board of Health for December 12, 2024 to December 12, 2030: Letha Pierro

*To the county Water and Sewer District 1 Commission: Dylan Cipkowski

*To the Columbia-Greene Workforce Development Board, to June 30, 2025: Dr. Victoria Walsh, senior vice president for Academic and Student Affairs at Columbia-Greene Community College (C-GCC)

*To the Community Service Board: Member term through 2027–Nina Benvenuto, Don Krapf (County Sheriff), Nathan McLaughlin, Ricardo Rhymaun, Brian Schneider; Member term renewal through 2028–James Haskin, Amanda Pierro, Jeff Rovitz; Nominations Committee through 2027– Keith Stack; Alcohol and Substance Abuse Committee (chair) through 2027– Tara Eldred; Intellectual/Developmental Disability Subcommittee (chair) through 2027– Suzanne Moe.

The supervisors also authorized arrangements with Southern New Hampshire University for a student intern under supervision of a consulting Nurse Practitioner in the County Department of Human Services (DHS); and with SUNY Albany School of Public Health to give students practical experience in the County Department of Health.

Also regarding higher education, the supervisors approved modifying a contract with Columbia-Greene Community College (C-GCC) to increase the amount of behavioral health support the DHS provides to CGCC students. The original contract covers 350 hours a year of service from licensed social workers and eligible DHS employees, the revision will cover up to 1,400 hours. According to the approval resolution, “DHS can meet the” new demands “without increasing staffing costs.” The change was deemed necessary because “C-GCC reports an increase in mental health and substance abuse issues” among its students, and these “negatively impact academic performance.”

On other matters, the supervisors:

*Authorized a contract with Partners in Safety of Middletown to provide drug and alcohol testing for the Highway Department in 2025

*Picked Chronogram Media to publish the 2025 Columbia County Visitors Guide for up to $37,962

*Authorized the DHS to give $22,500 to the Sheriff’s Department to help it purchase an X-ray machine for the County jail. The machine costs $147,500, and the Sheriff’s Department has gotten a grant for $125,000

*Authorized 60-month leases with Repeat Business Systems for: one printer in the MIS Department; and two copy machines in the Office for the Aging

*Granted permission to the County Facilities Director to send a 2009 mower that “has outlived its useful life” to auction.

*Authorized a contract with A. Coloruso & Sons, Inc., for the replacement of a culvert carrying County Route 7 over a tributary of the Roeliff Jansen Kill in Gallatin; and a professional services agreement with Barton & Longuidice regarding the repair of a culvert carrying County Route 13 over a creek in New Lebanon.

In total, the board approved 65 resolutions and one local law.

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