County Finalizes ARPA Allocations

By Chris English

SCHOHARIE COUNTY - The long process of allocating Schoharie County’s $6.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds has concluded.

At the Dec. 20 county Board of Supervisors meeting, members approved several motions regarding the remaining ARPA money. The BOS voted to allocate $10,000 for more shelving for a county storage facility in Cobleskill, and $30,000 to the Cobleskill Fairgrounds to use as needed on various projects.

Board members voted to allocate the remaining $196,375 toward broadband projects in the county. Lastly, the BOS gave Supervisor and ARPA Committee Chair Alicia Terry of Gilboa the authority to designate any additional funds that might become available to a project or projects she deems best suited.

Also at the Dec. 20 meeting, Cassandra Harrington of Destination Marketing gave a presentation to the Supervisors on the nonprofit’s efforts to promote tourism and economic vitality in the county.

“Tourism done right drives economic growth,” she said.

Harrington said the possible induction of Ichiro Suzuki into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 2025 would be a tourism boon to both Otsego and Schoharie Counties as it would draw thousands of Asian and other visitors to the HOF. Destination Marketing is also planning out America’s 250th Birthday events and promotions for both counties, she added.

The BOS approved a resolution setting forth that the county will “design, let and construct” the Huntersland Road bridge replacement over the Little Schoharie Creek in Middleburgh.

The county Board of Supervisors “hereby authorizes the County of Schoharie to pay 100 percent of the cost of preliminary engineering/design and right-of-way acquisition work for the project or portions thereof, with the understanding that qualified costs may be eligible for federal aid, state aid or reimbursement from Bridge NY funds,” the resolution stated.

It continued: “The County of Schoharie hereby agrees that construction of the project shall begin no later than 24 months after award and the construction phase of the project shall be completed within 30 months.”