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Legislature approves $100,000 contract with Soil & Water for watershed coordinator after extended debate
Summary
The Legislature approved a $100,000 contract with the Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District to fund a watershed coordinator position and related activities, with a 5–1 committee vote after debate over district capacity, office location and implementation details.
Ulster County’s Environmental Committee approved a $100,000 contract with the Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District to fund a watershed coordinator position and associated implementation work for three watershed plans.
The contract, discussed at length in committee, anticipates collaboration between county planning, the Department of Environment and the Soil and Water Conservation District. Committee members pressed for clarity on how funds would be used; attendees discussed a plan that includes onboarding, vehicle lease costs and project coordination. Committee members and the district’s executive staff cautioned that Soil and Water’s current workload and recent changes in external engineering support could strain the district’s ability to take on additional duties immediately.
Director Leitelmeyer of the Soil and Water Conservation District described heavy current workloads, multiple large contracts and recent staffing and engineering changes. “We have good relationships with NRCS and DEP, but our workloads have increased and we do not want to be overextended,” Leitelmeyer said. Committee members raised questions about where the watershed coordinator would be physically based; county officials said office location was flexible and that the person would travel countywide.
Planning staff said the contract includes an offer to advance 25% of the funds to the district so the district would not be out of pocket for start-up expenses. The county also expects a portion of the program funding to be matched by the Hudson River Foundation in the first year. Committee members said the faster the county moves, the more likely it is to retain qualified applicants; planning staff noted several applicants had already expressed interest.
After extended discussion about timing, the district’s ability to absorb the work, and the importance of advancing watershed projects and competitive grant timing, the committee voted to approve the contract. The committee recorded the outcome as approved by a 5–1 vote.
