HEALTH: How about some dust with that burger?

By JEANETTE WOLFBERG

HUDSON–Student internships, animal welfare, a historic bridge marker, and ARPA received attention at the Columbia County Board of Supervisors meetings September 11 and October 9.

ARPA (the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) are funds to speed recovery from the Covid crisis and recession. All ARPA money not used by the end of 2024 must be returned to the federal government. In the September and October meetings, the supervisors approved using ARPA funds for:

•Housing. This includes making an agreement with Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood (GHPN) to help county residents pay their rent or mortgage and “stabilize” their housing; and extending an agreement with the Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) to administer using ARPA funds for “affordable housing”

•A new 24-passenger adult bus. ARPA is expected to cover most of the $227,000

•A Cornell Cooperative Extension nutrition-oriented “wellness” program. The program serves 4H families and gets referrals from Head Start, the Parenting Program, and the Mental Health Association.

Earlier this year, the supervisors authorized using ARPA funds for new security cameras at nine locations, new software to open doors of county buildings, and a dump truck.

Also on September 11 and October 9, the supervisors:

•Approved two student internship programs. One is for Questar III BOCES and the County Office for the Aging to “engage” three student interns (ages 17-21) and a job coach for one and a half to two hours once a week, in order “to expand…intergenerational programming opportunities.” The other is for Pace University to provide a student intern under mentorship of a Consulting Nurse Practitioner in the Department of Human Services

•Established an Animal Abuse Registry to prevent known animal abusers from obtaining new pets and companion animals; and adopted a statement urging US Congressional delegates to oppose a bill that would end state protections for farm and commercial animals (see story “Animal Abuser Registry passed by board, EATS Act still a concern” article, October 11)

•Authorized purchasing a new custom historic marker from Catskill Castings for the new Stall Bridge on Pleasantvale Road in Livingston and Clermont. The old bridge had a historic marker with the date 1910. Both markers are to be installed adjacent the new bridge, “to honor the historic significance of the original Stall Bridge”

•Developed agreements with GHPN. One with the County Department of Social Services, is for after school and truancy programs, support for “high needs youth,” transportation for field trips and to various specific activities, nutrition, and a Youth Department Internship. The other is for housing assistance with ARPA funds mentioned above

•Authorized the awarding to Pace Laboratory the bids for monitoring services at the county’s seven landfills and for additional water quality sampling at three of them. The landfills are in Ancram, Claverack, Copake, Gallatin, Ghent, Hillsdale, and Hudson. Ancram, Claverack, and Hillsdale will get the additional water sampling

•Extended a Domestic Terrorism Prevention Grant Program

•Appointed Thomas Fisher to the County Civil Service Commission, to take over a term that ends May 31, 2026

•Authorized the following purchases: three Chevrolet Tahoe Police Patrol vehicles and related equipment, by the Sheriff, for an amount allowed by budgetary appropriations; a 2024 Ford cab dump truck with snow blow equipment and sander prep, by Facilities, for up to $85,000, to replace a 2010 dump truck; and five rear load containers by the Solid Waste Department — two would be 2-yard, two 4-yard, and one 6-yard

•Authorized the Public Defender and the Probation Department to lease printers and copiers from Repeat Business Systems

•Authorized the following vehicles to be declared surplus and sold at auction: a 2009 Ford pickup and a 2005 Chevrolet pickup by the Highway Department; a 2010 Chevy Tahoe by the Sheriff; and a 2009 Ford Focus by the Central Services Department

• Authorized work related to the preparation for and execution of construction projects on: Twin Bridges in Copake; Route 7 over Punsit Creek in Austerlitz; a culvert with County Route 13; the culvert carrying County Route 11 over Hollowville Creek in Claverack; and the Buckwheat Bridge over Roeliff Jansen Kill Creek in Clermont and Livingston.

In all, the board passed 36 resolutions and two local laws in September and 29 resolutions in October.