Richard Moody is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Columbia County Board of Supervisors May 9, approved an agreement with the Galvan Foundation to provide emergency housing at its 25-room Galvan Motel, located on Route 9 in Greenport. The contract was approved on a vote of 17 to 4 by the full board. Supervisors Linda Mussmann of Hudson, Kathy Lack Eldridge of Greenport, James Luzzi of Greenport and Ryan Skoda of Taghkanic voted against the measure. The county will pay $85 per room, per night, for the first year of the contract. During each subsequent year, the price per room will increase three percent, per year. Among the dissenting supervisors the location of the facility was a key factor in their "no" votes. “All I am willing to say is that the location is the issue,” Skoda said. “The whole area is surrounded by businesses and there is a school across the street. It is just not the right location for a homeless shelter.” Mussmann argued that the people who will be living in the motel will be too far away from the services they need, including the Social Services, Health, Mental Health and Probation departments, Twin County Recovery Services and the courts, which are all located in Hudson. “I voted with my conscience,” Mussmann said. “It is extremely unfair to put these people away from the services they need. I believe the homeless should stay near those services." Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.