Biotech Company May Provide Up To 300 County Jobs

by Kieron Kramer
Good news percolated at the Rensselaer County Legislature’s meeting on Tuesday, November 13, because of the happy convergence of State and County Government of both parties and private enterprise. Earlier in the day New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the largest expansion in New York State’s biotech industry this year which will, it is hoped, create as many as 300 new, high paying jobs in the Capital Region. [private]Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will invest nearly $70 million to expand its Rensselaer County production facility located at 81 Columbia Turnpike (Rtes. 9/20) in East Greenbush. The project involves the construction of two facilities  – a new 65,000 square foot building that will add manufacturing capacity for Regeneron products for clinical trials and potential commercial sale and an expansion of the company’s facility at One CSC Way. Regeneron currently employs approximately 540 individuals in East Greenbush.
According to the Governor’s announcement Empire State Development will assist the company with $6.7 million in Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits. In addition to the financial assistance provided by ESD, the Rensselaer County Industrial Development Agency (RCIDA) is offering Regeneron a PILOT agreement. Rensselaer County and the Town of East Greenbush have also worked together to address the company’s needs regarding its connection to the County’s sewage treatment system.
With the prospect of 300 new jobs in the offing the County Legislature moved quickly to accommodate the biotech company’s expansion. A public hearing on expanding Sewer District #1 to include Regeneron’s new facility was held Tuesday at 5:24 pm. A Regeneron executive, Daniel Van Plew, made a brief statement at the hearing and asked for questions. There were none. Bruce Secord, an engineer doing the site work for the project, made a presentation, complete with pasteboards, showing the location of the proposed new facility and the extension of the sewer line. The Regeneron facility, which the company acquired in 1993, abuts the County’s Sewer System #1 and the  SUNY East Greenbush campus which is already on the sewer system. Secord asked for questions, and the legislators obliged, asking about parking, storm water run off and the like.
During the regular meeting, the Legislature voted to expand Sewer District #1 to the Regeneron facility.
Regeneron is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company that discovers, invents, develops, manufactures and commercializes gene technology to create human antibody  therapies for the treatment of serious medical conditions such as wet macular degeneration, a retina disease, inflammation, cancer and hypercholesterolemia. Additional information and recent news releases are available on the Regeneron web site at http://www.regeneron.com.
In Memory Of Ruby Laura Pine
The Legislature passed a resolution in memory of Ruby Pine of West Hoosick who died on September 18, 2012.  The resolution says, “It is customary for this Legislative Body to pay honor and respect to persons who have had a great impact and influence on the citizens of this County; it is with particularly deep sadness that we conclude this evening’s deliberations in honor of Ruby Laura Pine.”
According to the resolution, Ruby was born on the family farm in West Hoosick and was the daughter of the late Charles and Edith (Armstrong) Hunt. She resided in West Hoosick most of her life. Ruby was married to the late Lester J. Pine, who passed away in 1973. She graduated from Walter A. Wood High School and was a homemaker. During election time, she worked for the Board of Elections as an Inspector for forty years. She also helped her daughter and son-in-law at Seifert’s Auction Service. She was an active member of the West Hoosick Baptist Church where she served as a Deacon, Sunday School Teacher, Trustee, Member of the Gleaners’ Society and the United Class. She was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The resolution says, “Ruby Laura Pine will be missed by her family: her two daughters, Janet and Joyce (Ronald); twelve grandchildren; twenty-seven great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren; a nephew; two nieces. Ruby is predeceased by a brother, Edgar, and a great-granddaughter, Laura… the Rensselaer County Legislature concludes its deliberations in memory of Ruby Laura Pine and extends its deepest sympathy to her family, fully confident that her contributions to her community will live on to serve as a legacy for all.”
The Clerk of the Legislature will transmit a copy of this resolution, suitably engrossed, to the family of Ruby Laura Pine.
Streambank Restoration Along Plank Road
A resolution was passed by the Legislature to amend the  2012 budget established to advance the recovery project created in response to the infrastructure damages suffered from the 2011 FEMA Disaster, Tropical Storm Irene. The County Engineer  designated Weston and Sampson, PE,LS,LA,PC as the engineering firm to assist the County with design of the streambank stabilization of the Poestenkill Creek along a portion of County Route 40 (Plank Road). The engineer’s direct costs are reimbursable by a combination of Federal and State aid. The cost of the engineering services are not to exceed $7,334.
Mortgage Tax Distribution
A resolution providing for the distribution of mortgage tax was passed at this session. The Rensselaer County Clerk has paid the Chief Fiscal Officer $1,617,428.83 which represents the local share of mortgage tax collection for the period April 1, 2012, to September 30, 2012. The sum is due and owing to the cities, towns and villages of Rensselaer County. Municipalities in eastern Rensselaer County will receive the following amounts:
current       10/1/11-3/31/12
Berlin                      $14,190.48   $12,751.31
Brunswick            $168,310.97    $159,886.80
Grafton                   $24,313.16    $20,901.87
Hoosick                  $34,574.37   $28,855.92
Village of Hoosick Falls   $7,195.72      $5,996.62
Nassau                  $41,661.38    $37,626.62
Village of Nassau  $4,051.11      $4,876.81
Village of East Nassau     $4,476.36      $2,526.64
Petersburgh         $8,530.52      $5,879.92
Pittstown            $57,063.15      $51,311.42
Poestenkill         $61,078.00     $61,456.96
Sand Lake         $142,541.13    $118,483.59
Stephentown    $20,207.46     $71,553.54
County Budget
County Executive Kathy Jimino has proposed a County budget for 2013 with an average tax rate increase of 2%. Under this proposal, the average annual County property tax bill would increase by $23.93 to $584.96 for each $100,000 of property value. The proposed county tax rate and its change from the current year’s rate will vary from one municipality to another. This variance is due to each individual municipality’s equalization rate as established by the New York State Division of Real Property Services as well as the property assessments as established by the municipal assessors.
The Legislature is currently working on the budget proposed by Jimino. A public hearing was already held on November 8 and another is scheduled for Monday, November 26, at 5:30 pm in the Legislative Chamber. The Legislature will hold a special meeting on December 3 at 6 pm when it is expected to adopt the budget.[/private]