Daniel Zuckerman is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media details are emerging on the decision made April 20 to close the Greene County Jail in Catskill. Citing safety concerns, Greene County Sheriff Greg Seeley, county Legislature Chairman Kevin Lewis, Republican of Greenville, and Republican Legislators William Lawrence of Cairo, and Michael Bulich of Catskill, made the decision to shutter the facility and relocate the incarcerated to Columbia and Ulster counties, after consultation with Kaaterskill Associates of Cairo. The original announcement of the closure did not identify the lawmakers involved. “It was just a temporary safeguard,” Lawrence said April 23. “We didn’t want to take a chance; it was a good decision.” None of the 36 corrections officers assigned to the Catskill jail will be laid off, Seeley said. “We need COs to do transports all day long,” Seeley said. “Trust me, there’s gong to be plenty of work for these COs to do.” All 14 legislators were informed of the news after Lewis, Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden and Buildings and Grounds Superintendent Bill Smith examined the issues, Lawrence said. Legislators unable to attend the meeting also approved of the decision, Zuckerman writes. Kaaterskill engineers conducted two previous reviews of the jail and identified issues to be addressed, Groden said. Engineers will make a determination about the jail’s safety, which is expected to be completed late this week. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.