Ted Remsnyder reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the upgrades for the Hunter Transfer Station are costing taxpayers more money, as Greene County Legislature’s Finance Committee unanimously approved spending an additional $17,758 on the project at its meeting May 16. The full legislature still needs to approve the additional funds. Scott Templeton, the county’s Highway and Solid Waste Department superintendent, is blaming the state. “Unfortunately the state of New York did not review and approve the plans until October,” Templeton said. “Because of those (state) delays, the cost of materials, the cost of construction and the cost of everything has risen.” After various legislators bashed the state government at a May 9 meeting, Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden defended the state. “Because of COVID the state basically went remote and things just got slowed down,” he said. “It’s difficult to criticize that so much, but I don’t know if they are fully back to the office or are they still doing a combination of remote work?" Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.