Washington County Public Works staff asked the committee July 29 to approve two grant applications: one to replace a shared vacuum truck used by multiple MS4 communities and a second, larger Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP) application to stabilize several road slides.
The smaller request seeks an MS4 grant with a maximum application amount of $400,000 to replace a 2009 vac truck shared among MS4 partners (town and village of Fort Edward, town of Kingsbury, village of Hudson Falls and the county). Staff said the grant requires a 25% nonmonetary in‑kind match and that quotes for a replacement vehicle are not yet final. The committee voted to apply and carried the motion.
The second, larger application would target slides on County Route 10 (Vermont border area), County Route 54 (near the 113 intersection along the Hudson River) and other local spots; staff said prior low‑cost fixes did not hold and more durable measures such as soil nails are needed. Staff presented a proposed grant request of $2,120,000 with a local match of $530,000 (described in the presentation as $100,000 in labor and $430,000 in cash) and said the total project cost was estimated at about $2.65 million. The transcript includes differing line‑item numbers in places; staff emphasized that the projects would be reimbursement‑based and that the county would likely need short‑term financing (bond resolution) to cash‑flow work until reimbursements arrive.
"We've tried a low‑cost fix and it didn't work," the presenter said of one slide area, arguing that the county needs engineering and more substantial measures to stabilize the roads. The committee approved staff’s request to apply for the WQIP grant and to prepare appropriate financing language if the county is awarded funds.
Both grant motions passed by voice vote; staff said projects would move to finance for further discussion about cash flow and bonding if awards are received.