Albany County designates Historic Preservation Board to lead 250th anniversary grant application

Albany County commissioners designated the Albany County Historic Preservation Board to serve as the county’s executive committee for organizing and applying for state semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) grant funding.

County staff said the state grant program allows counties to name a county committee to coordinate events and submit a county-level application, and the application is due June 30. Jan Thirkelsson and representatives of the Albany County Historic Preservation Board described a coordinating network of some 20–25 community organizations that have discussed joint marketing, a central calendar, pooled promotion materials and a small administrative grant to support a coordinator, videography and countywide promotion.

Mary Hopkins, vice chair of the Historic Preservation Board, explained the county grant is capped at $10,000 and that the board would likely seek an administrative grant to create shared promotion and scheduling to reduce duplicated effort across groups. She said nonprofits and municipal groups will remain eligible to submit individual project applications through the state program even if the historic preservation board acts as the county committee.

Commissioners moved and voted to appoint the Albany County Historic Preservation Board as the county-level committee and asked staff to draft a resolution for the next meeting. The board will prepare the county application and coordinate participating organizations. The county’s contribution or county-managed share of funds would be administered through the county treasurer and subject to state contract and reporting requirements.