Category Archives: News

Read the latest local news from Columbia County and surrounding areas.

Private firm to own Bliss Tower

by JEANETTE WOLFBERG

HUDSON–The Hudson Housing Authority (HHA) and its Board of Commissioners met November 14, welcoming a new commissioner and announcing that the authority is negotiating a deal that will transfer majority ownership of Bliss Tower and Columbia Apartments–a prominent low-income housing complex in Hudson–to a private real estate development company.

HHA Executive Director Tim Mattice said at the meeting that the housing authority has “just submitted an application to convert” its status from public housing to a Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD). The conversion will require tenants to sign new leases and their apartments will undergo reconstruction, but Mr. Mattice emphasized the current tenants could stay.

“There will be very little will change for existing residents,” Mr. Mattice told the audience. “You will be grandfathered. We don’t want anybody to be fearful. You can always come down to my office to talk to me if you have questions. My personal mission is to make sure everyone’s housing is secure for the long term.” Read more…

Canaan joins neighbors for rescue squad service

by PETER FLIERL

CANAAN–The Town Board met on last week at Town Hall to act on the 2019 town budget and make amendments to the 2018 spending plan.

The total spending plan for the General and Highway funds, as posted on the town website, is $1.3 million, with a town-wide tax levy of $544,546. The tax increase is 1.58%.

Details are at www.canaannewyork.org. Read more…

Austerlitz installs an electric vehicle charging station

by STAFF

AUSTERLITZ – The Town of Austerlitz announces the installation of a new electric vehicle charging station in the parking lot of the new Town Hall on State Route 203 in Spencertown.

The ChargePoint Level 2 charging station is being funded by a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Located just a few miles east of the Taconic State Parkway and a few miles west of from Route 22, the charging station is convenient to riders on the parkway as well as I-90 and Route 22. Read more…

Chatham Town Board fills seat, keeps tax rise below 1%

by EMILIA TEASDALE

CHATHAM–The Town Board appointed Michael Richardson to the open seat on the board at their meeting last week. Mr. Richardson will serve out the term of Landra Haber, who resigned from the board in October. The seat will be up for election again in November 2019.

Mr. Richardson had been serving on the town Zoning Board of Appeals, which now has a vacancy due to his appointment to the Town Board. He is also on the town Citizen Finance and Planning Committee. He is a budget and labor relations consultant who has helped both the town and the Village of Chatham with their budgeting processes.

Mr. Richardson lives in the Village of Chatham and owns land in another part of the town. Read more…

Kinderhook super says 2019 budget reduces tax levy

by EMILIA TEASDALE

KINDERHOOK–The Town of Kinderhook Board passed a $2.6-million 2019 budget at their meeting on Wednesday, November 7. Ahead of the vote the board held a public hearing but there was no comment from the public on the budget.

Supervisor Pat Grattan told the board that the tax rate for residents in the town would be $1.05 per $1,000 of assessed property value. For residents in the villages of Kinderhook and Valatie the rate will be .55 cents per $1,000.

He said that amount was decrease from last year and down from an all-time high in 2009. After the meeting Mr. Grattan said the town was well below the tax levy increase cap mandated by the state. Read more…