[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6521518,"mediaKeyId","5091757-a91c21c833a33d0357101a923c9110d3","parentId",5091757,"title","Consultant asks Montgomery County for $12,000 to address DEC review of local solid waste plan","audioSeconds",645,"startMs",24815,"endMs",670105,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5091757-a91c21c833a33d0357101a923c9110d3&start=24&end=670","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5091757-a91c21c833a33d0357101a923c9110d3/thumbnail_24815.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6521518/Montgomery-County/New-York/Consultant-asks-Montgomery-County-for-12000-to-address-DEC-review-of-local-solid-waste-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521518-0597c8fcfea32e7e61c4a0abdd3c3302/orig.mp4?Expires=1775623996&Signature=DlCPuh~5XE095msVdRxyz0r7AlHgMcQXhrQP4tqkKo-NoPvvsiPu6lUyJh3AlBvZBBNLIe8HzAEUdWRkO55TAnI7bRS3oB5zl5xUSt50fyluyeWTBv9rdShFYQPtQXJI7rty74Kugm8VH4lFFQr29iqKPSRvRsqmx7NMdy1sHCmLeVhLcvfPo0ZEL~kW-brCPGDmTatZWVyLbpPGKjjW0j6mqrkS-cHg0meZIYd7Wrwix0ZWlS2h0vGw1fQYHrlzrK64ME9CobPqNW6g8HenOLggX8~7GFAQtnbzc5wIlg7F9X~iA-2~zwz-Vrli5W5lrZ-ALpCwtJLM2qGljX8-Vg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montgomery County, NY","date","2025-06-27T17:44:26Z","article","A consultant working on Montgomery County's local solid waste management plan told the county meeting that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) returned the county's draft with substantive questions and requested further work, and the consultant proposed a $12,000 contract amendment to prepare required analyses and a draft local law.

The consultant said the county's plan — work that began before the COVID-19 pandemic and was finished under a contract retained about a year ago — was submitted to DEC on Dec. 10 and the county received DEC's review on May 8. The DEC letter, the consultant said, raised multiple questions about the waste and recycling data in the plan, county contract operations and the status of those contracts, the county's waste importation policy, public-facing website content, the lack of a countywide mandatory recycling law, hauler licensing, and what DEC characterized as an insufficient exploration of alternatives.

The consultant said the plan must use data private haulers and private disposal and recycling facilities report to DEC through the agency portal and that county staff and the consultant's analyst, Alyssa, have already responded to or revised data items to DEC's format. \"We can very readily handle the DEC questions on the data,\" the consultant said.

The more time-consuming work, the consultant said, is the state-required evaluation of alternatives. Under DEC regulations, the county must evaluate 15 categories of alternatives for quantitative and qualitative impacts, identify needs for new programs and propose schedules to implement them. The consultant described creating a spreadsheet that lists the 15 alternatives and then completing multiple columns of economic and qualitative analysis for each — work the consultant said aided Saratoga County through a similar review.

DEC also asked why Montgomery County does not have a mandatory recycling or source-separation local law. The consultant referenced the New York State Solid Waste Management Act of 1988, which required municipalities to enact local laws by 1992 to separate recyclables from nonrecyclable material for recovery. The consultant said DEC is looking to the county — the designated planning unit — to show how it will enact and implement any needed local law.

County staff involvement is already under way, the consultant said: county staff (Ken) and the county attorney have been engaged and the consultant has provided sample local laws for consideration. The consultant said decisions the legislature must make include who a local law would apply to (residences, businesses, industry), phasing, and which materials would be required for source separation. The consultant noted a state statutory economic test that limits required recycling when it is not economically viable, and acknowledged that, as county staff (Megan) pointed out, recycling can be more costly than disposal in some cases.

On costs, the consultant said the original contract to prepare the plan was $25,000, of which the consultant has billed $24,787. The consultant said their firm has spent an additional $17,000 that has not been billed and that the firm will absorb that amount; they proposed a contract amendment for an additional $12,000 to complete the alternatives analysis and work on a local law. \"I'm not happy to be here asking for more money at all,\" the consultant said, adding that the firm wanted to help the county secure DEC approval.

Legislators asked questions about whether Saratoga County hired a recycling coordinator after its review (the consultant answered that Saratoga's board did not approve the coordinator in two budget years), how the county became the planning unit (the consultant said counties were designated planning units after MOSA dissolved), and whether towns and villages within the county might already have local laws that could satisfy DEC (the consultant said he was not aware that such town-level laws would relieve the county of the planning-unit responsibility).

The consultant offered to follow a sample approach used for another county, which included detailed spreadsheets of alternatives, economic and qualitative analysis, website and public information improvements, and a budget analysis for potential new positions such as a recycling coordinator (the consultant said DEC can pay 50% of a coordinator's salary, leaving a county match). The consultant said the county attorney has begun reviewing sample laws and that moving forward would require policy direction from the legislature.

Next steps were not set during the meeting; the consultant said the firm could prepare the additional analyses and draft local-law language if the legislature directed staff to proceed.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","MONTGOMERY COUNTY LEGISLATIVE MEETING: JUNE 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A consultant working on Montgomery County's local solid waste management plan told the county meeting that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) returned the county's draft with substantive questions and requested further work, and the consultant proposed a $12,000 contract amendment to prepare required analyses and a draft local law.","taxTitle","Montgomery County, New York","taxId",69377,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6521509,"Committee roundups: multiple Montgomery County resolutions moved to full board",708,1371620,2080454,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5091757-a91c21c833a33d0357101a923c9110d3&start=1371&end=2080","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5091757-a91c21c833a33d0357101a923c9110d3/thumbnail_1371620.jpg","/articles/6521509/Montgomery-County/New-York/Committee-roundups-multiple-Montgomery-County-resolutions-moved-to-full-board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521509-2babcd26d4f6a45285674f1251468d09/orig.mp4?Expires=1775623996&Signature=Nk3jvblM6WVkB-V3yyE792x~duCFB35-GI9afxv6Pm54hxswXfCkm1c9Gr5k-wEIwfd6NpqQBdm1RfKncgUbwTT~BxZms~v86YCESIgZ2TJotf~vF09WF7Oc~47mXFRqg3vkFdrzM9v-zycyP~ji4RNbDf3YY7Lzm5Msm6j0WviE9-Gm7u9khP~DzG0sT5SWbmILsiFVkcJA5mfXehjcn-8zL1we1oX0Yn4iup4~1ufE9gG0x4Cgdf4c9BfhqnIWUn5c2xHSnrLkam8NhpiWCjc8ZkwCdIzK9GCtnKy-K-y0vRokFWcRaOHHVC-n3s4Zt16SzsjJy6vjXVd-ZMN9vQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee sessions recorded multiple resolutions approved on voice votes and referred to the full board for final consideration. Most items were passed with a committee voice vote recorded as \"Aye\" and then \"moved to the full board.\" Highlights from the meeting record include:

- Budget amendments and operating-budget resolutions: Committees considered several amendments to the county's 2025 operating budget (various departments) and moved those resolutions to the full board for final action.

- Public safety staffing: Committees approved referring resolutions to establish a full-time temporary deputy sheriff position and to establish two full-time public defender positions; the public defender positions would bring the county's complement to four full-time attorneys, per committee discussion.

- Centralized arraignment: A resolution supporting creation of a centralized arraignment plan for town and village courts was approved in committee and referred to the full board (see separate article for details).

- Radio communications tower procurement: The committee approved referring a resolution authorizing the county executive to enter a contract for RFP O-8 of 2025 (radio communications tower work at the sheriff's office); the committee record noted four bids were received and the recorded recommendation was the low bidder.

- Intergovernmental / shared services: A resolution authorizing the county executive to enter memorandums of understanding to share deputy sheriff resources with municipalities and pursue a shared-services grant was referred to the full board; committee discussion indicated meetings with towns had begun.

- Health and human services: The Health and Human Services (committee of the whole) approved two separate resolutions amending the 2025 operating budget for mental-health items and moved both to the full board.

- Personnel items: The Personnel Committee approved a transfer of funds for a workers' compensation audit cost (self-insurance fund) and referred the resolution to the full board.

- Education and government items: The Education and Government Committee approved a resolution requesting legislation to expand residency requirements for sheriff deputies and corrections officers, set a public hearing date on Fulton-Montgomery Community College's proposed 2025 budget, and confirmed an appointment to the Fulton-Montgomery Community College Board of Trustees; each resolution was moved to the full board.

Most committee actions were recorded as voice votes; the transcript does not include formal roll-call tallies for the committee approvals in the provided segments. Each referred resolution will appear on the full-board agenda for final action.","Several committee resolutions — including budget amendments, staffing authorizations and approvals to pursue communications and public-safety contracts — were approved in committee and referred to the full board for final action.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6521513,"County committee backs resolution supporting centralized arraignment plan for town and village courts",366,1266470,1632550,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5091757-a91c21c833a33d0357101a923c9110d3&start=1266&end=1632","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5091757-a91c21c833a33d0357101a923c9110d3/thumbnail_1266470.jpg","/articles/6521513/Montgomery-County/New-York/County-committee-backs-resolution-supporting-centralized-arraignment-plan-for-town-and-village-courts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521513-982ac15052a157224126921844e7c9eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1775623996&Signature=V9AR0LYrKNaJ8QPDx2IJq70n1KZcgl6cYX0x5TCB6LgVSWx9n-sDUVlgQzTp0RepZrTMjkHQ4DskC2CQ3zJcf7jXnBu4wLegCjiQB6vx0tDzj4zMz6okh2r3VZ5HgDvdi6gYV9IcqH-scEeq7G-e6tGOfICdjXFLmc0Y5sUqHsHAPLmNgi3ju3Jhy86NS8wm3jbAsiNo6TW5VzaavAJJlx83WCNUK-8P7DucGNogyOhjWVwsoSZrl-DlmHAGFM6uq2GSlSkDGZgrLt0GeKEfE~X22HeuBet9Ugouamvjf9vxyphO9SrKH7v229ZsqpfTgatomrrFwEanw8Yv4CFt8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Judge Hedwell, representing the Montgomery County Magistrates Association, asked the county committee to support a resolution backing a plan to centralize off-hour arraignments for town and village courts and said the association had met with the county executive, the sheriff and other stakeholders to develop the approach.

Hedwell told the committee centralized arraignment would \"streamline the process, giving a defendant an opportunity to have legal counsel at first appearance,\" and would concentrate arraignment duties into set morning and afternoon sessions rather than covering unpredictable hours that burden the public defender and sheriff's department.

Committee members asked questions about how the plan would operate. The judge and other speakers described a model in which judges use their own courtrooms and rotate on-call schedules; judges who agree to participate would be \"on call\" for set periods and arraignments would be processed during scheduled windows, with immediate arraignments required by law handled separately. The judge said the change was not intended to eliminate required immediate hearings but to reduce the \"weird hours\" the current system imposes.

Speakers discussed financial and operational implications. Committee members noted potential cost savings from reducing stipends paid to attorneys on call; participants also discussed a related shared-deputy proposal, including meetings with towns about sharing the expense of a deputy sheriff. The transcript records a reference to a shared services grant (described as coming in November, noted in discussion) that could help offset costs if the deputy is shared with municipalities.

The committee voted in favor and moved the resolution to the full board. The resolution was sponsored in committee by Senator Kelly. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally; the committee's voice vote was recorded as \"Aye\" and the motion was \"moved to the full board.\"","Montgomery County magistrates and a county committee discussed a proposal to centralize off-hour arraignments to reduce unpredictable demands on public defenders and sheriff's deputies; the committee voted to move a resolution supporting the plan to the full board.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Consultant asks Montgomery County for $12,000 to address DEC review of local solid waste plan

Committee roundups: multiple Montgomery County resolutions moved to full board

County committee backs resolution supporting centralized arraignment plan for town and village courts