POUGHKEEPSIE – A total of $1.2 million in grants were announced
on Monday to nine Dutchess County municipalities as part of the county’s
Municipal Consolidation and Shared Services Supplemental Grant program.
County Executive Marcus Molinaro noted the grant program is available
to all entities subject to the state property tax cap limit.
“This $1.1 million grant supplement was meant to assist municipalities
with critical capital projects, one time expenditures, that would enable
them to ease the property tax burden and with these grants many communities
are either able to hold their property tax levy flat or are able to stay
below the property tax cap,” he said.
The county consolidation and shared services supplemental program was
created in 2013 to incentivize municipalities, through a competitive grant
program process.
These awards included:
Construction of New Salt Storage Shed
Project Award: $50,000
Awarded Municipality: Town of Pleasant Valley
Project Description: Construction of a salt storage shed that will shield
the salt chemicals from contaminating ground water and other environmentally
sensitive areas, while guarding the salt from environmental elements.
The new salt shed is a critical necessity, since without it, the Town
will incur storage related-expenses and be forced to forfeit salt previously
purchased.
Building Department Vehicle
Project Award: $25,000
Awarded Municipality: Town of Rhinebeck
Project Description: Purchase of a four-wheel drive vehicle to allow the
building inspector and code enforcer the ability to conduct the duties
of their job without interruption. The current vehicle has exceeded its
useful life, making this a critical purchase for the Town.
Gardner-Hollow Road Bridge Replacement
Project Award: $100,000
Awarded Municipality: Town of Beekman
Project Description: Replacement of a culvert that has seriously deteriorated,
creating a potentially hazardous condition. As a safety precaution, weight
limits have been reduced on the bridge, limiting access for some type
of vehicles such as emergency vehicles. Replacement is a priority for
the Town, and this grant will offset the burden placed on taxpayers.
Lower Mill Road Culvert Replacement
Project Award: $225,000
Awarded Municipality: Town of North East
Project Description: Replacement of the existing undersized culvert with
a larger, precast concrete box culvert that has a larger capacity and
is less prone to obstruction. This grant will reduce the taxpayer burden,
while ensuring this critical culvert replacement occurs, in order to eliminate
the periodic flooding and resulting road closure.
Police Fleet Replacement
Project Award: $75,000
Awarded Municipality: Town of Hyde Park
Project Description: Replacement of high-mileage police patrol vehicles
that have exceeded their useful life. This critical purchase will provide
safe vehicles for police, while reducing the impact to tax payers.
Repairs to Financial Plaza Parking Deck
Project Award: $250,000
Awarded Municipality: City of Poughkeepsie
Project Description: Engineering and construction funding to repair the
damage to the City’s parking garage, caused by corrosion; the garage
has exceeded its useful life and must be repaired. This award will minimize
the burden to taxpayers while ensuring the safety of those parking in
the garage.
South Avenue Sidewalk Replacement
Project Award: $50,000
Awarded Municipality: City of Beacon
Project Description: Replacement of deteriorated sidewalks that are well
beyond their useful life, posing a hazard to Beacon residents and visitors.
This grant will offset the cost of this critical project while minimizing
the burden on taxpayers.
Tall Trees UWWD Connection
Project Award: $225,000
Awarded Municipality: Town of Wappinger
Project Description: Engineering and construction to connect the Tall
Trees Water District to the United Wappinger Water District, which will
remedy the community’s long-standing hard water, broken infrastructure
and limited water quantity issues. This award will reduce the bond amount
for this critical project, thus reducing the impact on taxpayers.
Water System Upgrades
Project Award: $200,000
Awarded Municipality: Village of Millbrook
Project Description: Engineering and construction to remedy the Village’s
water issues, which warrant additional treatment be provided in order
to meet standards. This grant will reduce the bond amount and burden placed
on taxpayers.
