By Michael Ryan
CATSKILL - The price of virtually everything else is going up other than a lease agreement between Greene County and the town of Jewett, but nobody is complaining about sticking with the status quo.
Greene County Legislature members, at a recent meeting, authorized the pact involving the Department of Human Services (Aging) and Jewett for use of their town hall as a senior citizen service center.
It is a longstanding, year-round program colloquially known as Meals on Wheels, preparing hot food for the elderly and homebound.
Jewett provides the kitchen and dining space on the upper story of the building in exchange for $1,500 in monthly rent from the county.
The stipend is staying the same as last year amid inflation elsewhere, but Jewett town supervisor Greg Kroyer was pleased, receiving the renewal.
“I consider this to be very good news,” Kroyer said, “Meals on Wheels is an essential program and many local people have weighed in on how important it is to them.”
There were no guarantees the re-up would happen amid changes to the program over the past year as belt-tightening occurs across the board.
Multiple appeals were made by citizens at county budget public hearings, this past fall, as lawmakers contemplated the funding cuts, prompted by expected reductions in State and federal aid.
The heartfelt appeals struck home with lawmakers similarly acknowledging the vitalness of Meals on Wheels and other related projects.
Jewett, under the agreement, will continue to foot the bill for expenses such as garbage removal, internet, heat, lights, electricity, pest control and normal wear and tear on the structure.
The town must similarly ensure that the grounds, building and furnishings including the water purification system (i.e. ultraviolet), are maintained in good repair and free from any dangers to health and safety, according to the legislative resolution.
It is further resolved that the arrangement can be terminated by either party upon 90 days written notice, the legislative resolution states.
In other fiscal matters:
—Lawmakers authorized the renewal of an agreement between the county and Mountaintop Historical Society for $15,000 in annual general support.
The hilltown historical society requested and was granted the backing for their efforts in touting not just what is unfolding in the upper elevations of the county, but the county as a whole.
Mountaintop Historical Society members interact with “tourists from around the State, the nation and the world, as well as local residents,” the legislative resolution states.
—Lawmakers authorized a commitment of $37,000 for the continued development of a Greene County Historical Society project.
“Greene County largely benefits from a tourism-based economy composed
of numerous destinations, including historically significant sites, that attract a high volume of visitor traffic, driving much of the county’s employment figures and contribution to the overall tax base,” the resolution states
“The county understands the importance of strengthening the accessibility
of these destinations and its impact on visitor spending, employment, and long-term operations for sites operated by non-profit organizations,” the resolution states.
“The Greene County Historical Society is considered one of the leading entities providing services and resources to preserve historic artifacts and sites that contribute significantly to the County’s tourism-based economy,” the resolution states.
“The Society preserves and operates the oldest surviving home in New
York State as part of the Bronck Museum complex in the Town of Coxsackie,” the resolution states.
The Bronck Museum complex includes the Vedder Research Library, a prominently important facility vital for archiving Greene County’s historic collection of artifacts available for public research,” the resolution states.
“The Society has requested a financial appropriation from the county to
assist with funding for improvements to take place at the Bronck Museum and Vedder Research Library complex and facilities along with code-compliant repairs to the historic 13-sided barn,” the resolution states.
Given all those facts, “the county desires to continue its priority of assisting in the preservation of historically significant tourist destinations,” the resolution states.
That assistance applies, “particularly [to] the Society’s complex which is situated in the northern gateway of the county, and improving their accessibility for visitors and residents alike,” the resolution states.
—Lawmakers reappointed Jonathan Palmer as Greene County historian to a 3-year term, commencing January 1, 2026.
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