Warren County committee approves contract extensions, new contracts and funding transfers

Warren County Economic Growth and Development Committee members approved seven actions during their January meeting, including a contract extension for digital content supporting the county’s Explore Warren County app, new planning and program contracts, and budget transfers to fund a recreational assessment and broadband outreach.

The approvals clear short-term contracting and funding steps for recreational planning, septic replacement and outreach to unserved internet locations while department staff continue work on a draft comprehensive plan and housing strategy. Committee members moved quickly through routine items before longer policy discussion.

Votes at a glance

1) Approval of minutes from the Nov. 20 meeting — Motion: Ms. Turner; Second: Mr. Feeny; Outcome: approved.

2) Extend contract with Cliff and Redfield Interactive through January 2026 (content development for First Wilderness / Explore Warren County app; pays software and intern salaries) — Motion: Mr. Stroud; Second: Mr. Bean; Outcome: approved. As Principal Planner Sarah Groover noted, “This is just our ongoing contract that we’ve had for the last several years, for content development for First Wilderness, and our stories from open space project. The money primarily funds the software for our Explore Warren County app, as well as, pays intern salaries.”

3) Enter into a contract with Wilderness Property Management to prepare a recreational assessment for municipally owned property in the Johnsburg/Weavertown area (initial planning and design to position the town for additional grant funding) — Motion: Supervisor Bean; Second: Supervisor Diamond; Outcome: approved. Staff said the study is scheduled to finish in advance of May–June grant rounds.

4) Budget amendment to allocate $20,000 from occupancy/occupancy‑tax funds to pay for the Wilderness Property Management contract — Motion: (mover recorded as Mr. Beam in the transcript); Second: Mr. Casido; Outcome: approved.

5) Fund a countywide scoping survey for unserved broadband locations (Connect Warren County initiative) — Request amount: $3,028.88; Motion: Supervisor Deane; Second: Supervisor Weil; Outcome: approved. Staff described the target as roughly 1,300 residential locations identified after comparing FCC broadband serviceable location data with county real property records; the survey will solicit interest in alternative internet technologies (for example, satellite-based service) and include a stamped return envelope for replies.

6) Enter into a contract with the Lake Champlain–Lake George Regional Planning Board (LCLGRPB) for $111,000 to support Lake Champlain Basin water‑quality work and to offset administrative costs of the county-run septic replacement program — Motion: Supervisor Strowl; Second: Mr. Wilde; Outcome: approved. Staff said roughly $30,000 per year for two years will offset administrative costs, and an additional $50,000 is earmarked for septic replacements serving disadvantaged households in the Lake George basin.

7) Establish a capital account for $400,000 received through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to support infrastructure in aid of housing (septic/well replacement, targeted to low- and moderate‑income households) — Motion: Supervisor Diamond; Second: Supervisor Turner; Outcome: approved.

Committee chair and staff emphasized these were implementation or planning‑stage approvals rather than final project completions; multiple items are explicitly intended to position municipalities and the county to apply for or deploy additional state and federal grants.

Background and context

Planning staff said 2024 brought a substantial increase in grant awards, noting “we sort of hit a historic milestone in the amount of money that we captured from state and federal sources,” and that many of the approvals on the agenda are designed to leverage that outside funding. Several actions authorized today use existing budget lines, occupancy‑tax funds, contingency or awarded grant dollars.

Several members asked procedural and scope questions during debate: how many contract extensions remain available for the Cliff and Redfield agreement (staff said the original term plus two renewals), how the five septic systems identified under the basin funds were selected (staff said they are chosen using Lake Champlain Basin program eligibility metrics and household data) and whether the broadband scoping list represents households or properties (staff said their review of FCC data against county records reduced the target to about 1,300 residential locations).

Ending

Committee members closed the action agenda and moved into a longer discussion of planning and housing initiatives. No votes failed and no formal recusals were recorded in the meeting record.