State, federal funds headed for Hudson Valley

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The government checks are in the mail, much to the relief of mid-Hudson Valley counties with drained coffers. The monies are to be used to study municipal consolidation as well as to fund infrastructure and transportation projects throughout the region, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Following is a breakdown by county:

 

Orange

  • $26,000 for the city of Middletown, village of Otisville and town of Wawayanda to identify options for the consolidation of municipal employee and retiree health benefit plans, known as the Orange Municipalities Health Benefits Consolidation Project.
  • $25,000 for the town and village of Chester to study the consolidation of their police departments.

 

Rockland

  • $27,000 for the Nyack Union Free School District pupil transportation consolidation project, coordinating Nyack, Pearl River and South Orangetown school districts.

 

Westchester

  • $25,000 for New Rochelle”™s technology efficiency project between the city and school district to identify cost efficiencies and service improvements through the joint implementation of technology services.
  • $26,000 for the village and town of Ossining and the village of Briarcliff Manor to fund consolidated public works and a highway study.
  • $5.5 million to resurface Route 9876G, Taconic State Parkway, from north of Underhill Avenue to Route 134 in Yorktown, a total of 3.3 miles are expected to be completed by August 2010.
  • $1 million to upgrade traffic and pedestrian signal equipment in Yonkers, expected to be completed by fall 2010.

 

Dutchess

  • $600,000 for the village of Millbrook to fund shared water and sewer facilities with the town of Washington.
  • $22,500 for the town of Wappinger and village of Wappingers Falls to fund a shared highway garage study.
  • $47,900 for the Taconic Hills Central School District to begin joint implementation of school and municipal grounds maintenance with the towns of Ancram, Copake and Hillsdale.

 

Ulster

  • $49,599 for the town and village of New Paltz to fund a shared municipal services study.
  • $481,811 for Ulster County, in partnership with the towns of Kingston, Esopus, Marbletown, New Paltz, Shandaken, Shawagunk and the village of Ellenville to deploy highway apparatus through the use of GPS systems to streamline highway cleanups.
  • $894,000 for sidewalk construction from Gardiner Library to Gardiner Reformed Church in the town of Gardiner, expected to be completed by 2010.

In addition to, the state Department of Transportation will get $94 million in highway and bridge contracts this fiscal year, as well as some $38 million for consolidated highway improvement funding. Hudson Valley communities not identified at this time are expected to get some $300 million for highway and bridge funding in the state”™s current fiscal year.