Dutchess County ‘Innovation Grants' total almost $1.75 million

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro joined with several county and municipal leaders to announce nearly $1.75 million for local governments through the county’s Municipal Innovation Grant program.

The program, started by Molinaro five years ago, seeks to award funding to municipalities and government agencies that are attempting to eliminate duplicative services, share services and otherwise streamline government processes to save taxpayers money.

“We are funding the ideas that came from towns, cities and villages across Dutchess County,” Molinaro said. “This isn’t a Dutchess County success. This is merely us, our county, committing to a partnership to accomplish the goals that municipalities have put before them to create a more efficient and less costly government.”

At the Hyde Park Town Hall on Tuesday, Molinaro announced funding, provided by the county, that benefits several joint efforts by municipalities to save taxpayer dollars, including a $75,000 award for a Shared Commercial Sewer District Expansion Study to hire a consultant to provide a detailed engineering report, including a map plan, for a sewer district to be shared by the town of Hyde Park and the Dutchess County Water & Wastewater Authority.

The lack of available sewer lines along the U.S. Route 9 business corridor in Hyde Park has long been blamed for lack of economic growth there.

The grant application estimated annual savings of $5,000 in addition to increased revenues obtained from increased property values and the attraction of new businesses.

Farther north, the town and village of Rhinebeck each have their own justice court, less than 500 hundred yards from each other. The two governments applied for money to study the feasibility of sharing court operations and locations with, according to town of Rhinebeck Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia, an estimated savings of $40,000 annually. The grant totals $30,000.

Likewise, the town and village of Red Hook also each have their own justice court. A $30,000 grant was awarded to study the feasibility of sharing court operations and locations, expected to save taxpayers $40,000 annually.

Also among this year’s awards were:

• Crisis intervention team, $198,750 to Dutchess County, the cities of Beacon and Poughkeepsie, the towns of East Fishkill, Fishkill, Hyde Park, Pine Plains, Poughkeepsie, and the villages of Fishkill, Millbrook, Millerton, Red Hook, Rhinebeck and Wappingers Falls. Project description: Law-enforcement training that will provide officers with the tools necessary to identify, intervene, de-escalate and divert individuals from inpatient hospitalization and the criminal justice system to community organizations that can address their needs. Research suggests an estimated savings of $100,000, annually.

• Municipal shared solar farm, $45,000 to the town and village of Red Hook. Project description: The town, in partnership with the village, will further its adopted Climate Action Plan, moving forward on the next steps before constructing a solar farm to provide energy to municipal facilities, resulting in an anticipated savings of $40,000, annually.

• Shared Municipal Complex, site study, $142,000 to the city of Beacon and Dutchess County. Project description: Beacon will conduct a site analysis and create conceptual designs for a shared firehouse, city administration and county satellite offices, expected to save more than $4.8 million annually.

• Shared municipal/ fire district facility study, $150,000 to the town of Poughkeepsie and Arlington Fire District. Project description: Hire a consultant to evaluate and develop options for the consolidation of municipal and fire district facilities into one centrally located facility, eliminating the need to invest $1.2 million in facility improvements. A centralized consolidated facility is expected to result in more than $260,000 in savings, annually.

• Sports field, infield mix and permanent synthetic marking, $51,900 to the towns of Pleasant Valley and Milan. Project description: Joint procurement of infield mix and permanent synthetic marking for multiple sports fields. Permanent synthetic marking systems eliminates the need for regular and ongoing field striping, with a useful life of 10 years and a savings of more than $15,000, annually.

• Streamlining landuse development process, $140,000 to the city of Poughkeepsie, towns of Hyde Park and Rhinebeck, and Dutchess County. Project description: This will be a two-phase project. Phase 1 will focus on the city of Poughkeepsie

and towns of Hyde Park

and Rhinebeck, which will hire a consultant to examine and develop new practices that will facilitate streamlined land-use procedures, resulting in efficient

building, planning and zoning permitting practices. Phase 2 will involve an analysis of the feasibility of implementing a Dutchess County shared

code enforcement and building inspection process to act as a resource for communities that opt to contract with the county for said services.