Ulster County Deputy County Executive Amenta said Thursday that the Kingston Motel is the county's highest concentration of families in emergency housing and that county teams are intensifying outreach and coordination to address water, septic and safety concerns. "The Kingston Motel is our highest concentration of families in emergency housing placed anywhere," Amenta said, adding the motel allows extended stays that most hotels do not. Commissioner McDonald and Director Nordstrom described on-site services and recent efforts to move families into permanent housing.

Why it matters: The motel hosts many families for extended periods, which county officials and local legislators said raises public-health and public-safety concerns and places extra demand on local police and county services. County staff said the motel is privately owned and remains under regulatory oversight by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for wastewater and by county health staff for potable water.

County and health staff described three linked problems: inadequate well capacity, a septic/leach field system that DEC has identified as needing replacement but that remains permitted while a replacement plan is under review, and recurring calls for police response at the site. Deputy County Executive Amenta said the owner has submitted plans for a package plant (a small on-site wastewater treatment system) that remain in the DEC approval process; she said the existing system remains permitted but has been identified as needing replacement. "They have submitted a plan many months ago, and they are awaiting to get either approval or denial," Amenta said.

On water, county health staff said the motel's original well did not yield sufficient volume for the current number of residents; the owner has drilled a second well and submitted test results that county staff are reviewing. Until the new well and any required filtration are approved, tanker trucks supplying municipal water have supplemented the system. Health staff said all faucet water currently provided to rooms is potable and that the tanked municipal water being supplied (from neighboring municipal sources) is potable.

Several legislators pressed for clarity and documentation. Legislator Kitchen said the septic has been failing for years and asked the county to obtain explicit inspection or confirmation from DEC. Amenta and Commissioner McDonald said DEC is the regulator and that the county would request documentation of DEC's review and the status of approvals. McDonald said the county would discontinue placements if a regulatory agency found a facility was not permitted or safe.

On safety and policing, county staff said the motel contracts privately for security but those personnel often call 911 when incidents require law enforcement. The town police have reported high call volume; county staff said they are discussing options with the sheriff's office for additional or contracted patrols and had previously explored a town-funded officer at the site. "The motel does contract for security," Deputy County Executive Amenta said. "Most of the circumstances that unfold ' are frequently because the security ' has contacted [law enforcement]."

County staff described direct case management and housing-placement efforts. Director Nordstrom and others said case managers from family-centered programs had door-to-door engagement; staff reported moving multiple households into permanent housing in recent months and cited upcoming openings (for example, the Silver Gardens project) that will house seniors moving from motels. Officials said engagement can be uneven: some residents who pay to stay at the motel decline outreach, and long stays make mitigation and repair of building problems more difficult.

On mold and mildew, county health staff said inspections occur but the department does not conduct laboratory mold testing; staff counsel residents and the motel on remediation steps (for mildew often related to poor ventilation), and recommended cleaning with bleach-and-water where appropriate.

Legislators asked for more documentation and for updates on reports from the town police and DEC. Amenta and McDonald said the county would continue to request DEC inspections and test results and would pursue additional security arrangements with the sheriff's office if feasible.

The committee did not take formal action on the motel; the discussion was entered as new business at the end of the agenda. The chair closed the discussion after legislators and county staff exchanged questions and described next steps for documentation and coordination.