Agency plans to enact required up-front fee

The Ulster County Industrial Development Agency board expects to set a policy requiring applicants for tax breaks to pay transcription fees before a public hearing can be held.

The issue came up at a Wednesday meeting as the board agreed to pay an $812.75 bill that was supposed to have been covered by Tannery Brook Real Estate for transcription services regarding a hearing on the planned Woodstock Way hotel project.

“I’ve called them twice,” county Economic Development Director Suzanne Holt said. “Both times they said they would pay, but they still haven’t paid.”

In advance of enacting a formal policy, Holt said, guidelines will be put in place regarding costs related to public hearings.

“Because of this, we’ve changed our procedure,” she said. “Now, instead of just asking for the fee up front, we ask for the fee and then we also collect escrow for the background check and the transcript so we won’t get stuck with the bill again.”

In the Woodstock Way matter, the Industrial Development Agency board agreed to pay the $812.75 bill from SMI Court Reporting of Poughkeepsie and have the agency’s attorney send a letter to Tannery Brook Real Estate requesting the amount be reimbursed.

Woodstock Way developer Jessie Halliburton, in a telephone interview after Wednesday’s meeting, said a “check went out in the mail” on Tuesday.

Holt noted the public hearing about that project included substantial public comment.

“It was an enormous public hearing,” she said. “I think there were 75 people who testified.”

Holt said the board needs to ensure that SMI Court Reporting would be available for future hearings.

Woodstock Way announced in March that it was withdrawing its application for tax breaks for the hotel project.