Honors Goodermote And Weeden
Story compiled from reports by the Majority and the Minority Offices of the Rensselaer County Legislature
The lawmakers opened their meeting by honoring two past Hoosick area men, both who where outstanding in their service to their community. First there was former Hoosick Town Justice and long time County
Legislator Lester Goodermote. Lester was also a well known accountant and owned and operated the Potter Hill Barn. Charles Weeden was a long time area baseball and softball coach, and worked for the Hoosick Falls School District for 30 years, first as a bus driver and then as Transportation manager. District 5 legislators Stan Brownell and Jeff Wysocki made the presentations.
The Legislature also introduced local law to limit the discharge of likely carcinogen 1,4-dioxane in Rensselaer County. The Legislature did so following what they labeled as the continued failure of the EPA and the State of New York to take action to limit the discharge of the contaminant. The proposed law, which limits the discharge of 1,4-dioxane to 0.35 parts per billion (ppb), will be voted on at the November meeting of the Legislature. Once passed into law, the EPA will have to ensure that the .35ppb limit is met. 1,4-dioxane is found in the contaminated groundwater at the Dewey Loeffel Landfill Superfund Site in Nassau in Southern Rensselaer County. Partially treated discharges of the contaminated groundwater at the site this year alone have found over nine parts per billion of the contaminant present.
In other action
The Legislature approved a successor agreement with the Hudson Valley Community College Non-Instructional Employees Union on wages and other terms of conditions of employment for the period of September 1, 2017 to August 31,2018. The lawmakers accepted a $10,000 State grant awarded to the Office of the Sheriff to implement a new program, issuing ID cards to seniors suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or any other form of memory loss. This program will help in locating the individuals who are lost and can’t remember how to return. They also approved various school districts request to renew their contracts with the Department of Mental Health to offer Substance Abuse Prevention Services for the 2017-2018 school year.
The 2018 County Budget will be presented by County Executive Kathy Jimino on Friday, October 20, 2017 at 10:30 am in the Legislative Chambers of the Ned Pattison Government Center. The Legislature next meets on Tuesday, November 14