by Kieron Kramer
It may be the silly season, as Rensselaer County Legislator Stan Brownell, Vice Chairman of the Legislature, described it after the last regular meeting of the Legislature before the County elections in November, but you’d never know it from Tuesday’s meeting. There were no debates, no presentations, no speakers, no controversial resolutions and no posturing – shocking, absolutely shocking. [private]But who would have words to say about a resolution designating the week of October 6 – 12 as Cornell Cooperative Extension
Week and National 4-H Week or one recognizing November 15 as America Recycles Day in Rensselaer County. And, right at the end of the 22 minute meeting, a resolution with a positive impact on possibly all the municipalities in the Eastwick area, a resolution authorizing local governments to purchase health insurance through the County’s plans, passed unanimously.
Officially titled “Resolution Authorizing A Municipal Cooperation Agreement For Local Governments To Purchase Health Insurance Through Rensselaer County,” this program is expected to provide the greatest savings to municipalities who insure less than 50 employees. The County provides its employees and retirees with health insurance options from which they may choose coverage for themselves and any eligible dependents. By utilizing the County’s insurance plans those local governments will gain access to the County’s community rating and the significant savings it provides.
According to a news release from the County, District Five Legislators Stan Brownell and Lester Goodermote, who represent the towns of Stephentown, Berlin, Petersburgh, Grafton, Hoosick and the Village of Hoosick Falls are big proponents of this sharing – who wouldn’t be?
“This is particularly good news for municipalities in eastern Rensselaer County. Local officials had asked for this type of cost-saving
arrangement, and we are glad this is now a reality and the chance for savings in this area is possible for towns and villages,” said Brownell.
“We hope that this has a positive impact on local budgets in the next few years and helps maintain needed services right at the grassroots level,” said Goodermote.
In an interview after Tuesday’s meeting Goodermote said that the Town of Hoosick bookkeeper, Tyler Sawyer, indicated to him that Hoosick might save as much as $30,000 through this health insurance arrangement. Berlin, Petersburgh, Grafton and Stephentown have fewer employees than Hoosick and therefore wouldn’t save as much, and some of these towns may already be part of an insurance consortium. But significant savings that would impact these towns’ budgets and tax rates are possible. Even if these towns cannot incorporate these savings into their 2014 budgets because the budget process is so far along, they would see a fund balance surplus by the end of 2014, a fund balance surplus that could hold down taxes in 2015, Brownell said.
Bridgework
The physical reconstruction of the Elm Street Bridge, County Road 38 over the Little Hoosic River in Berlin, has not begun but the first step was taken in the September meeting of the Legislature when the appropriations were made to fund the engineering study and to acquire needed rights-of-way in keeping with provisions of the New York State Highway Law and applicable Federal Statutes. According to September’s resolution, the extent of rights-of-way required has been determined based on the design of the replacement bridge, and “the appraised value of the takings has been established in conformity with the NYS Eminent Domain Procedure Law…” The County will offer the affected property owners the fair market value of the parcels with the total amount for the acquisition of any rights-of-way set at $6,000.
In 2011 Creighton Manning Engineering, LLP was authorized to provide the engineering services relating to the replacement of the Elm Street Bridge. The original agreement with Creighton Manning was in the amount of $214,000. Since then there were additional design services and so, in September, the Legislature authorized a supplemental agreement for an additional $36,500 and a total engineering and design cost of $250,500 without overruns.
Also in September, the appropriation for the project in the amount of $268,400 was authorized as was the necessary amending of the County budget. Eighty percent of the cost of the project, and therefore this preliminary work, will be borne by Federal funds and 20% by non-Federal funds.
In Tuesday’s meeting on October 8, the County followed the same procedure for the design and right-of-way acquisition services relating to the replacement of the CR 111 (Pittstown-Johnsonville Road) Bridge over the Hoosic River using 80% Federal aid and 20% State Marchiselli aid. In 2004 Erdman Anthony and Associates, Inc. was authorized to provide engineering services relating to the replacement of the bridge. The detailed design and right-of-way acquisition phases of this project cost $584,550, including the total amount to be expended in connection with the acquisition of any rights-of-way which is $27,650.
After the meeting Brownell said that the reason the design and right of way acquisition for this bridge was so expensive was because the original, old, steel deck bridge is on the historic register and must be left intact. A new bridge right next to the old one is being built. The bridge is just past and west of the fire house in Johnsonville.
2012 Conservation Farm Of The Year
In September a resolution was passed honoring the Tilldale Farm upon being named the 2012 Conservation Farm of the Year by the Rensselaer County Soil and Water Conservation District. The Tilldale Farm is located along the Hoosic River in Hoosick.
According to the resolution, in 1938 the Tilldale Farm began as a dairy farm with about 300 acres of land which was purchased by Ernest Tilley. Dan Tilley started working at the farm full time after finishing school in 1972 and in 1980 purchased the farm with his wife Joanne. In 1999, the farm became certified organic and began selling organic milk; they sold organic milk until 2008. In 2008 the dairy cows were sold, and the farm was converted to a meat farm comprised of beef, pork and some chickens. Today, it has about 170 head of beef and 30 to 40 pigs. All the animals are raised organically and in environmentally sound conditions. Grazing is an important part of the feeding program. Meat is sold at the farm, two farm markets, some restaurants and a store in Albany. In 2010, 2011 and 2012 there were many good changes: fifty-five acres of fencing through the EQIP Program was built, an additional forty-two acres was fenced outside the EQIP Program and also some river bank erosion work was done. Solar power was also added to the farm.
The resolution says that the Rensselaer County Legislature paused “in its deliberations to recognize and commend Tilldale Farm for their outstanding contributions to agriculture and conservation as true stewards of the land.” The Clerk of the Legislature was directed to transmit a copy of the, resolution suitably engrossed, to Dan and Joanne Tilley of the Tilldale Farm.
Grafton Tax Roll Corrected
A resolution was adopted Tuesday that directed the County’s Chief Fiscal Officer to correct the Town of Grafton tax roll for 2010. The parcel owned by Charles M. Farrell and Margaret V. Farrell has been declared a duplicate assessment by the Grafton Assessor for the 2009 Final Assessment Roll thereby rendering the tax due unenforceable and uncollectable. The duplicate assessment will be removed and the appropriate amount charged back to the appropriate taxing jurisdictions.
Odds And Ends
The Legislature authorized payment of $7,500 to Iseman, Cunningham, Riester & Hyde, LLP, of Albany. This firm was engaged by the County to review the proposed lease between the County, as tenant, and First Columbia 547 River Street, LLC, as landlord, for space at the building known as Flanigan Square where offices will be rented for use by the social services, probation and youth departments of the County. The need for an outside firm was due to County Attorney Stephen Pechenik’s inexperience in real estate matters.
The Legislature authorized the purchase of three new, heavy duty tandem axle dump trucks with plow package and necessary hydraulics for $574,467 from Navistar, Inc. of Loudonville.
50/50
Legislator Goodermote expressed his distress at being told by Hoosick Falls Central School Superintendent Ken Facin “a couple of weeks ago” that if he [Facin] had his way Goodermote would no longer be allowed to sell 50/50 raffle tickets at the Panthers’ home football games, something Goodermote has been doing for eight years. According to Goodermote, Facin told him that gambling should not be allowed on school property. “Have you ever been to a high school football game in this area where there was not a 50/50 raffle?” Goodermote asked. He said that he sold $2,500 worth of tickets at the last home game. The raffle winner gets half, and the other half, usually anywhere from $1,100 to $1,400, is given to the Varsity Club to support school athletic and arts programs as they see fit.
Goodermote and Brownell have a full day planned for October 19. Goodermote will attend the HACA luncheon, and both Legislators will attend the wine and cheese party sponsored by the Grafton Historical Society and then go to the Berlin Fire Company’s Lobster Bake. They expect to go to the St. Mary’s Academy Cow Plop this Sunday as well.[/private]