Today's local news update.

Amanda Purcell is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Greenport Planning Board will hold two public hearings January 28, on two projects: the first a proposed apartment complex to be located on Joslen Boulevard, and the second proposal a 20-bed, medically supervised withdrawal and stabilization facility to be built at Merle Avenue and Route 66. The facility would serve patients locally in Columbia and Greene counties. The structure would measure 10,600 square feet and be located across Route 66 from The Falls apartment complex, and a day care center, and near the Questar III BOCES Educational Center. Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell said the county has been working with Greene County officials to develop an opioid response plan, and the proposed Greenport facility will help fulfill one of the needs outlined in the plan. “What ultimately happens with the project will be up to the local government to decide,” Murell said. “But we have identified a detox and rehab facility as something we need in Columbia County, and now Greene County.” The project has received preliminary approval from the state Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services. Patients will typically stay at the facility anywhere from 1 day to 7 days, with most patients staying an average of 4 days. If approved, the center would open 9 months to a year from now. The apartment project to be discussed during the first hearing calls for the construction of three 12-unit and two 10-unit apartments for a 56-unit complex at 540 Joslen Boulevard. The public hearings will be held beginning at 7:30 p.m., Tue., Jan. 28, in the Greenport town office building at 600 Town Hall Drive in Greenport. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

WTEN-TV is reporting the deadline to register to vote in the state's upcoming closed Democratic primary is February 14. In New York, only registered party members can participate in the presidential primary election scheduled for April 28. The standard voter registration form is available by the U.S. mail, online at the DMV, or in-person at many government agencies. The same form is used to change party affiliation. The county board of elections must receive an application to change party enrollment by Valentine’s Day. The original enrollment deadline was in October, but the Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed a bill in September to extend it. Any changes in party enrollment filed after the February 14 deadline and before June 30, will take effect on June 30. The Columbia County Board of Elections, located at 401 State Street, Hudson, is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday; the Greene County Board of Elections, at 411 Main Street in Catskill, is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Read the full story at News10 [dot] com.

Jane Wester is reporting for the New York Law Journal a bill introduced January 27 in the state Senate by Sen. Brad Hoylman, a Manhattan Democrat, would prohibit the use of facial recognition technology, as well as some other kinds biometrics surveillance by law enforcement. The measure would also create a task force to examine how to regulate the use of biometric technology in the future. The law would allow police to use DNA and fingerprints to identify people and link them to potential crimes. Hoylman, chair of the state Senate Judiciary Committee, said newer biometric technology like facial recognition “presents a chilling threat to our privacy and civil liberties.” He said the technology “...threatens to end every New Yorker’s ability to walk down the street anonymously." Hoylman said research indicates that facial recognition algorithms struggle to recognize women, people of color, young people and transgender or gender nonconforming people. Attorneys with The Legal Aid Society and the New York Civil Liberties Union praised the proposal, saying that the technology is inaccurate and easily abused. Hoylman said he was specifically concerned by the New York Police Department’s use of facial recognition and an app created by Clearview AI. That app searches internet images to help law enforcement identify people. An NYPD spokeswoman said the department has not reviewed the bill's language but noted the department would be negligent if it did not use facial recognition technology. Read the full story in the New York Law Journal.

Amanda Fries is reporting at Capitol Confidential state Attorney General Letitia James has launched an online portal for New York residents to report if, or when they experience housing discrimination based on the source of their income. James said in a news release. “Across New York State, landlords, rental agents, and brokers continue to post ads specifying that they will not accept vouchers or housing assistance — an act that is blatantly unlawful and discriminatory. This new portal will allow New Yorkers to report these instances of discrimination and help my office hold bad actors accountable.” The 2019 law applies to various types of housing statewide, except one- or two-family homes occupied by the owner, room rentals in properties for individuals of the same sex like college dorms and housing for seniors. This type of discrimination is often targeted at those who receive social security benefits, other government assistance or child support. Lawful sources of income as defined under the new law now include: alimony, foster care subsidies, child support, society security or Supplemental Security Income, any form of federal, state or local public or housing assistance, and any other form of lawful income or government assistance. Complaint forms can be completed online at ag [dot] ny [dot] gov. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Click above to download or play the audio version of the local news for Tue., Jan. 28. Produced by Philip Grant.

Click above to download or play today's "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

Jan. 27, 2020 City of Hudson Police Committee meeting.

Sarah Trafton reports for Columbia-Greene Media that though the state Attorney General’s Office launched a lawsuit that cited the PFAS contamination in Cairo, no one is publicly working on improving the water quality in the Greene County town. “We do have it in our water, yes,” Town Supervisor John Coyne said of the toxic forever chemical. “Is it within state guidelines, yes. We test it daily and monthly. If it spikes to an alarming level, it is the town’s responsibility to make citizens aware we did have a spike.” The Greene County Training Center on Mountain Avenue is the source of the contamination, as the chemical was used in fire-suppressing foam, and that is close to a well at Angelo Canna Town Park, where the town gets its drinking water. A 2018 water report found that the town’s levels of PFOS was 13.3 parts per trillion and after it was treated with soda ash and chlorine it was 11.3 parts per trillion. Otherwise, Trafton's story does not cite one single government official working on the water issue in Cairo, or any activists protesting about the issue. Nationally, and elsewhere in the Hudson Valley, officials and activists are working on similar PFAS contamination in Hoosick Falls, Newburgh, and many other towns. Two weeks ago the House of Representatives passed new legislation to aggressively police the PFAS chemicals, but President Donald Trump has vowed to veto the bill if it ever gets a vote and passes in the Senate. “It is a serious concern and all water users should be informed,” former Regional EPA Administrator Judith Enck said. “Carbon filtration should be installed and the DEC should rapidly investigate the source of the pollution and get it cleaned up.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Rick Karlin reports in the Times Union that representatives of retailers and the plastic industry did speak out against the March 1 plastic bag ban in New York Jan. 27 at a state Department of Environmental Conservation hearing. But environmental activists also pushed back against the March 1 date. Eric Goldstein, the senior attorney for the National Resources Defense Council, said at the hearing in Albany that the state Department of Environmental Conservation has not done enough to inform the public about the March 1 plastic bag ban. “Nobody wants to see the state fumble on the initial kickoff,” he said at the DEC hearing. "The state needs to take an extra month or two and should hold off on enforcement so that businesses and consumers can adequately prepare for a smooth transition.” Environmental activists also want to eliminate the rule allowing the use of plastic bags that are 10 mils or thicker and considered reusable under the regulation. “I was dismayed to see the 10 mil thickness” said Caitlin Ferrante, of the Sierra Club. The business community had other concerns. “There is concern about a paper bag shortage,” said Mike Durant, president and CEO of the Food Industry Alliance of New York. “They may have enough, they may not.” Price Chopper and Hannaford will charge a nickel per paper bag once the plastic bag ban goes into effect. Greene County has opted out of charging for paper bags, while Ulster County has opted in, and already has a plastic bag ban in place. DEC officials are taking comments on the issue through Feb. 3. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

The Daily Freeman reports that Scenic Hudson purchased 80 acres just outside the city of Hudson and that the Greenport property features meadows, forested ravines, wetlands, and numerous streams, and may be accessible from Hudson's downtown for hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and birdwatching. The environmental group also says the land protects views from the Olana State Historic Site to the south and the historic Dr. Oliver Bronson House and estate located on the grounds of the Hudson Correctional Facility. Scenic Hudson plans a trail on the land that will link Hudson to Olana and across the sidewalk on the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, to Scenic Hudson's 612-acre RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary in Catskill. "Protecting this property not only preserves outstanding views from Olana — one of the Hudson Valley's prime tourism destinations — but supports our longstanding efforts to complete a Hudson-to-Catskill trail, creating an exciting new destination," Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan said in a statement. "In addition, it's a critical first step in providing Hudson residents with direct access to nature, and it safeguards more habitats in the ecologically important South Bay watershed." Read more about this story a the Daily Freeman.

David Lee reports for the Columbia Paper that a group of residents have filed a lawsuit against the village of Philmont for their plan to rent out an unused former mill to a local group for theatre productions. The group of residents call themselves the High Falls Property Owners Association, and own property next to the building at 10 Canal Street. They say zoning does not allow theatre in the building, and the town only considered one other proposal for the space. The group Free Columbia would create the Free Columbia Cultural Center in the building for the High Falls Theater and High Falls Theater Ensemble. Philmont Village Trustee Larry Ostrander said, “Our opinion is that we all stand by our agreement. Everything was legal and there was no favoritism.... This wasn’t done on a whim–a lot of thought and work went into the process.” But Tom Paino from the High Falls Property Owners Association said, “The problem is that local government is a good-old-boy network. They are not paying attention to the rules.” Judge Richard Koweek is expected to rule on the case in state Supreme Court soon. Read more about this story in the Columbia Paper.

Today's local news update.

Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media an employee at a business on Park Row in the village of Chatham January 27, opened a package or envelope that contained an unidentified suspicious, and possibly hazardous substance, according to state police. Chatham Fire Department and rescue squads from Chatham and Valatie responded to the scene around 9:30 a.m., as did the Haz-Mat teams from Columbia and Greene counties, units from the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control, and Columbia County Emergency Services. State police said the investigation into the incident is ongoing, but there is no potential danger to the surrounding community. An area of Park Row will remain closed to traffic and pedestrians for the rest of the day. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Patricia Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman Ulster County's new comptroller has announced her intention to launch an audit of that county's short-term rental industry. In an interview with the Daily Freeman on Mon., Jan. 20, March Gallagher said her office will be looking at the occupancy tax revenues collected by the county in 2019 to determine if the county is collecting all it can from property owners who rent their homes or rooms through online platforms such as AirBnB, VRBO or HomeAway. "We're going to audit what's there, look at what's been collected and look in a deeper way at what should have been collected," Gallagher said. Based on the findings, she added, her office could recommend ways to capture more of the revenues owed the county, including better collection methods. Ulster County Finance Commissioner Burt Gulnick said that preliminary data for 2019, indicates the county collected "well over $400,000" in occupancy taxes, a significant increase from the $180,000 collected in 2018. But, Gulnick said, simply based on a recent Airbnb report, the county should have seen $600,000 or more in tax revenue. The county requires everyone who regularly offers a room for short-term rental to register with the Department of Finance, collect the 2 percent occupancy tax from their guests, and send it to the county. "Ulster County has more hosts and more revenues and more guests than any other upstate county, so we should be leaders in figuring out how to benefit both on the tax side and on the economic impact side," Gallagher said. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

MidHudsonNews [dot] com is reporting Stewart International Airport is destined to be the "cargo hub of the Northeast," according to a report from the think tank Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress. The group's president, Jonathan Drapkin, said the cargo hub would be designed with the future of freight logistics in mind, a facility that is more automated, computerized, and utilize new technology for the movement of cargo. “There will be less jobs, but the jobs will pay a higher wage and if you cluster them around Stewart Airport, you shouldn’t have as much animosity from neighbors. It will also lead to, if there are more flights, other jobs such as mechanics and people that work on the planes,” Drapkin said. The Newburgh-based non-profit also envisions a job training center, a shuttle service into Middletown and Newburgh for employees, as well as on-site workforce housing. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Chris McKenna is reporting for The Fray state Sen. Jen Metzger and Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson have reintroduced a bill from the previous legislative session that would allow part-time and vocational students at New York’s public colleges to qualify for the state's free tuition program. The Excelsior Scholarship program covers any remaining tuition costs after other aid forms are exhausted and is available only to full-time SUNY and CUNY students whose family incomes fall below a certain threshold. The two Hudson Valley Democrats are looking to expand the program to part-time students, who must often work while attending school. The program also would apply to students enrolled in a BOCES or other vocational program. In addition, the bill would raise the income limit from $125,000 to $135,000 for the current year. Metzger and Jacobson appeared at SUNY Orange in Middletown last week to promote the bill. Read the full story at The Fray.

Click above to download or play the audio version of the local news for Mon., Jan. 27. Produced by Philip Grant.

Click above to download or play today's "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

Melanie Lekocevic reports for Columbia-Greene Media that on Jan. 23 the Greene County Democratic Committee backed the candidate from Ulster County over the candidate from Greene County in the primary election for the District 46 State Senate seat. George Amedore, the Republican incumbent, is not running to retain his seat, and the last time Democrats won the District was in a presidential election year with higher voter turnout. At Gallagher’s Banquet Hall in Cairo last week candidate Michelle Hinchey, from Ulster County, turned out to tell the 75 attendees at the meeting about her campaign, while New Baltimore-based child advocate and attorney Gary Greenberg did not attend the meeting. “We want to support Democratic candidates and it was pretty unanimous across the committee that Michelle was the candidate that we were the most excited about,” said Carolyn Riggs, chairwoman of the Greene County Democratic Committee. “She has already put in a lot of work since she announced last July and she has been in Greene County often, talking to committee members, community members and business owners, to get a greater understanding of the issues that are important to Greene County, and she has taken a proactive approach to addressing those issues moving forward. It is for those reasons that we decided to endorse her.” Greenberg said he attended another event because he believed the committee's decision was pre-ordained. And Greene County Republican Chairman Brent Bogardus said he anticipates Republican candidate announcements to run for Amedore's seat by the end of February. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.