News from the Board of Supervisors Meeting

Tonight, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Resolution No. 161-2018: "A resolution authorizing various capital items in and for the County of Columbia, New York, at a maximum estimated cost of $24,780,000.00 and authorizing the issuance of $9,780,000.00 bonds of said County to pay costs thereof." The details of these "various capital items" can be found in today's Register-Star: "Columbia County to vote on $9M in bonds for several capital projects."

Among the other resolutions voted on tonight was Resolution No. 176-2018: "Authorization for the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors to enter into an Agreement with Galvan Civil [sic] Motel." The resolution passed, with the only dissenters being James Guzzi (Livingston), Kathy Eldridge (Greenport), and Linda Mussmann (Hudson-Fourth Ward). After the vote had been taken, the Chair recognized Richard Scalera (Hudson-Fifth Ward), who confessed to being "asleep at the wheel" and indicated that he meant to abstain from the vote on Resolution No. 176-2018.

Update: Board of Supervisors meetings always seem, to this observer, like gatherings of a secret society. Long lists of resolutions are read off by the clerk, each identified only by number and name of the supervisor bringing it to the full body. Then, it seems, that unless a supervisor specifically voices a negative vote, an affirmative vote is assumed. As a consequence, Gossips missed a fourth nay vote on Resolution No. 176-2018--the agreement with the Galvan Foundation. The fourth dissenter was Ryan Skoda, supervisor from Taghkanic. Thanks to Fourth Ward supervisor Linda Mussmann for bringing this to my attention.   
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