By JEANETTE WOLFBERG
HUDSON–The Columbia County Board of Supervisors authorized steep fee increases for disposing specific items at Solid Waste stations, action plans on the newly-purchased 11 Warren Street, arrangements for moving patients between medical facilities, and the psychological evaluations of pre-schoolers, at its meeting March 13.
With the board’s authorization, the Solid Waste Department is set to raise the disposal fees for several items, effective April 1. Some fees are to double or more than double. (See chart for a list of changes.)
The purpose of the fee increases is “to offset the cost of contractual and fuel obligations.”
The supervisors also authorized spending up to $2.5 million for “new buildings, equipment and paving” at Solid Waste Facilities and issuing $2.5 million in bonds to cover the cost. Supervisor Ron Knott (Stuyvesant) thanked those doing the “hard work” already begun. Before, he reported, the county heard “constant complaints” about the Greenport Transfer Station, and now it gets praise for it.
Meanwhile, the county is preparing to adapt 11 Warren Street in Hudson, which it bought late last year, to its needs. On March 13, the supervisors set up plans to determine the fate of solar panels and add a charging station.
The building came with solar panels on its roof, leased from Suntribe Energy. With the building ownership transfer, Suntribe advised the county to continue the existing lease, which runs through 2029. But the county “reviewed the lease and payment schedule” and “determined” that “the equipment is approaching its useful life.” Therefore, the supervisors authorized Chairman Matt Murell (Stockport) to negotiate with Suntribe to rewrite or terminate the lease.
The county also identified 11 Warren Street to be one of four sites for electric vehicle charging stations.
On another matter, the board authorized contracting with Columbia Memorial Health (CMH) for transporting “critical patients” from its emergency room to other “medical facilities in the region.” This will occur when CMH determines a patient needs care they can best receive at another facility. The contract, said the county, “will ensure appropriate response times to patients” who need it, “as well as guaranteeing that Columbia County EMS [Emergency Medical Service] agencies will receive adequate reimbursements” for the expense of the transfer.
The board also authorized renewing the county EMS agreements with the Greenport Rescue Squad, Community Rescue Squad, Valatie Rescue Squad, Chatham Rescue Squad and Northern Duchess Rescue. At the February Public Safety Committee meeting, EMS Coordinator PJ Keeler reported that Albany Med, which owns CMH, has contracted with two huge ambulance companies, “but we’re trying to keep our ambulances and money local.”
At the March 13 meeting, the board also authorized contracting with the Red Hook Central School District “to provide psychological educational evaluations” for children “referred to the committee on pre-school education.”
The Department of Human Services got the go ahead to allocate $80,000 annually from the county’s Opioid Settlement award to ReEntry Columbia. For joining class action lawsuits against opioid companies, Columbia County expects to get $2.2 million by 2038 and by last November had gotten about $500,000. ReEntry Columbia helps people leaving incarceration adjust to the outside world. It will use this opioid settlement money for an outreach worker, supplies, and expenses.
Also at the meeting:
•Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling (New Lebanon) thanked Erin Stamper, departing commissioner for the County Board of Elections (Democrat), for her “hard work”
•The board appointed Elisabeth Albert of Taghkanic and Thomas Paino of Philmont to the Columbia County Climate Smart Communities Task Force and affirmed that the term for Task Force members is two years.
•The Board authorized the following purchases:
•For the Commissioner of Public Works, four 2024 Toyota BZ4X electric sports utility vehicles from Hudson Motors Partnership for up to $187,164
•For the Highway Department: a 2024 Ford truck with a 10′ dump body, for up to $135,000; and a 2024 Ford SuperCab pickup, for up to $58,000. These will replace two dump trucks, from 2005 and 2008
The Board also authorized the Highway Department to sell the two replaced trucks, as well as sanders, “miscellaneous shop equipment,” and “obsolete vehicle repair parts.”
In addition, the board:
•Authorized the Sheriff’s Office to renew its yearly agreement with towns and villages for enhanced police protection
•Authorized a contract with Livingston Energy Group, LLC, “for the purchase, installation, and maintenance of” electric vehicle charging stations at four locations: 11 Warren Street, 401 State Street, the County Courthouse, and the Route 23B Highway Garage. The first three locations are on Hudson
•Granted the Highway Department to increase the fuel surcharge for Inter-County non-DPW agencies by 20 cents a gallon
•Formally requested Governor Hochul to reinstate rabies prevention funding in the proposed 2024-25 budget.
In all, the board passed 55 resolutions
