Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Reconnect Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Finance update: ReConnect Phase 1B closed $96,000 under budget; county declines RUS materials reimbursement approach
Summary
Committee heard that ReConnect Phase 1B closed $96,000 under budget and staff decided against pursuing RUS reimbursement for purchased materials to avoid a potential large repayment. Committee cleared permitting contract resolutions to proceed to the legislature.
Jeff Ayers told the Finance Committee that Rural Utilities Service (RUS) rule changes prompted staff to reconsider pursuing reimbursement for purchased materials and that, after reflection, he "no longer thinks that is a good idea." He said Phase 1B closed out $96,000 under budget but warned that accepting RUS reimbursement prematurely could create a repayment obligation if accounting later required it.
Ayers said the county will continue current practices to avoid creating a large bill it might have to pay back. Chair Holgate asked whether resolutions to award railroad permitting and NYS DOT permitting contracts for ReConnect Phase 3 should proceed to the legislative meeting; after discussion and edits there were no official objections and the items were cleared to proceed.
The committee also discussed logistics for materials and storage, thanking the Highway Department for cleanup help and noting the need for empty conduit reels for truck-load returns. Engineering contracts for Phase 3 backbone, decommissioning and additional grant work remain pending.
