Public Works committee signs off on a string of contracts and capital amendments including radio tower, data-storage migration and sheriff storage lease

Ulster County’s Public Works and Capital Projects Committee on April 13 approved a series of contracts and capital-program amendments spanning public-safety infrastructure, IT storage, bridge planning and facility renovations.

Committee action and context: Among the measures the committee adopted were a state‑funded contract to construct a public‑safety radio tower at the Government Operations Center (Resolution 176); a three‑year lease with 601 Route 28 Realty LLC to provide storage space for Sheriff’s Office vehicles and equipment (Resolution 191); and a capital-project increase to migrate county data storage to a new vendor (Resolution 223). Committee members praised the county’s progress on the complex Ulster Landing Road repair and discussed procurement and budget details on several items.

Selected outcomes and details: The lease for the sheriff’s storage was described in committee materials as roughly $12.95 per square foot in year one to house valuable emergency and marine vehicles and equipment; staff said the county currently lacks owned facilities of sufficient size and that a capital acquisition remains in the county’s improvement program. Resolution 212 combined prior water‑testing scopes into a single amended contract with H2O Innovation for the fairgrounds and pool campus; staff explained the amendment expanded services and extended the term.

Bridge program and pavement preservation: The committee advanced the 2027 bridge program schedule (Res. 213) to secure beams earlier and to limit cost escalation, and also authorized the 2026 pavement preservation project (Res. 214). Staff said several bridges under the program will include shoulders or other pedestrian accommodations consistent with the county’s complete‑streets approach, though very low‑volume bridges will not receive pedestrian retrofits where site constraints prevent it.

Facility design and heating-system discussion: Resolution 217 authorized a $65,000 amendment to expand design scope for Boyceville substation and garage work. The discussion included concerns from some members about proposed electric boilers for radiant‑floor systems; county staff said the design phase will evaluate alternatives, including solar‑thermal and higher‑efficiency systems. That resolution passed with one recorded abstention (Legislator Briggs) and otherwise passed the committee.

Next steps: Departments were directed to circulate vendor proposals and materials for contracts where requested, to complete procurement steps consistent with tax‑credit and other schedule constraints where applicable, and to return to the committee with design options or additional materials as they become available. The meeting adjourned after unanimous voice approval to close the session.

The committee recorded votes on multiple resolutions; most passed by unanimous voice vote, and committee members requested follow‑up briefings on contract schedules, vendor proposals and design alternatives.