September meeting highlights:

Environment: The Legislature unanimously passed a resolution requesting the New York State Department of Conservation (NYSDEC) to conduct monthly water sampling at the Quackenderry Creek in the City of Rensselaer after water quality issues were brought up in discussion at the August monthly Public Forum.

The Minority Legislators also introduced a resolution urging New York State to ban the use of Styrofoam. The production of Styrofoam is highly toxic; it never truly breaks down; it only degrades into smaller sized particles; it takes up 30% of our landfills, to name just a few reasons. As we are facing capacity issues regarding our local landfills, it seems essential to be proactive in eliminating this toxic substance from our environment. The resolution passed unanimously with bi-partisan support.

Planning: The legislature accepted a $ 250,000 grant from the NYS Dormitory Authority for the development of a waterfront multi-use trail connecting the city of Troy and Rensselaer. These funds will be used for the planning and design services of the trail.

Legislature: The Rensselaer County Legislature unanimously passed a resolution opposing the proposed new mandatory $ 25 license plate fee introduced by Governor Cuomo requiring any license plate older than 10 years to be replaced, with an additional charge of $ 20 to keep the same plate number. The NYS Legislature will address this issue come January.

Mental Health: Showing success in the past year, the legislature extended a contract for clinical services at the Lansingburgh Central School District for the 2019-2020 school year, which is a source of revenue for the County.

 NEXT MEETING – Tuesday, October 8, 2019 in the Rensselaer County Chambers located on the 3rd floor of the Ned Pattison Government Center, 1600 7th Avenue, Troy.

Residents are welcome to contact our office at 270-2890.

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