20 questions for the CC Board of Supervisors

1. Was an appraisal done of the Ockawamick property before it was purchased?
2. How will this project be financed? And who will finance it?
3. Will there be a public referendum to approve the financing?
4. How much will the debt service cost the taxpayers of Columbia County?
5. What is the initial cost of creating a transportation plan? What will the financial impact be over a 10-year period? A 20-year period?
6. How much of the transportation plan is federally reimbursable?
7. Who’s on the short list for the bus contracts?
8. What will it cost to maintain the new county campus?
9. Will the health club and cafeteria be self-sustaining enterprises? Will those facilities be open to the public?
10. Will child care be available at Ockawamick for client families?
11. What does DSS currently spend on transportation, Medicaid reimbursable or not?
12. What is the projected cost to create a communications infrastructure at Ockawamick? Is there broadband service available in Claverack or Philmont, and at what cost? How much money will it take to network that campus with the remaining county departments in Hudson?
13. How many other counties in the state of New York maintain their primary human services office outside the county seat in a rural location, away from the majority of benefit recipients?
14. Under the law, can the present Board of Supervisors encumber a future Board of Supervisors (and the taxpayers) with this kind of decision without voter approval?
15. What happens during a routine DSS intake interview? What must potential recipients do to qualify for benefits?
16. How long does the average DSS appointment take?
17. How much time does a DSS worker now spend transporting clients to home, or other locations?
18. How much does it cost the county to transport a DSS client from Hillsdale to Hudson today? How much will it cost the county to transport that same client to Ockawamick?
19. Why didn’t the DSS commissioner participate in the County Workspace Evaluation Sub-Committee interview and survey process that was required for every other department head? If the commissioner did participate, where is the survey?
20. Did your vote on the Ockawamick Plan reflect the consensus of your constituents? Did you solicit their opinions before each vote)? What percentage of your electorate thought this was a good idea?