The possible dangers of the use of chloraminated water, the need to deter the consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors, the licensing of master electricians and the fate of the Nelson House Annex in downtown Poughkeepsie featured prominently in a long and uneven meeting of the Dutchess County Legislature on Monday, May 12.
A proposed local law that would have prohibited the use of artificial trans fats in county food service establishments was pulled at the request of its sponsor, and capital projects for Dutchess Community College as well as the issuance of county bonds to finance them were unanimously adopted without discussion.
As an issue, the use of chloraminated water proved especially contentious, considering that all that was being proposed was the compiling and summarizing of information regarding its possible danger. Yet this elicited a stream of county residents exercising their right to address the Legislature, describing their experiences with rashes and other health problems they claimed resulted from the presence of chloramines in the water supply. County Legislator Joel Tyner (D-Clinton/Rhinebeck) spoke in support of them, saying, “I hope this resolution does pass, because there are lots of people with stories about rashes, and it is something that must be examined,” and the legislature did indeed unanimously adopt the request that the Dutchess County Department of Health look into the matter. But there was one strongly dissenting voice from a city employee.
“Sure, pure water would be great, but we live in the 21st century,” said Matthew Geho, the environmental laboratory director at Poughkeepsie’s Water Treatment Facility. “We all know what goes on with our source water in our watershed. Chloramines have been thoroughly studied already. I know the people who spoke, I’ve seen the rashes they speak of, and I sympathize. But these are exceptional, individual cases. Statistically speaking, chloramines are safe.”
Although there was no opposition to the principle of doing something about teenage drinking, the form of the so-called Social Host Law, which proposes to deter the consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors by holding those over the age of 18 responsible when they permit minors to consume spirits at their residences, did elicit some dissent.
“As the father of a 17-year-old, I agree with 99 percent of this law’s merit,” said County Legislator David Kelly (R-Pawling). “Yet I cannot support this resolution. By enacting such a law, we would be invading the privacy of families. We cannot and must not play Big Brother.”
“It’s an important law,” countered Legislator Angela Fresland (R-Poughkeepsie). “Underage drinking costs society millions of dollars a year. I can’t speak in favor of it enough.”
The resolution passed by a vote of 21 to 3.
On the question of licensing electricians, the legislature decided to kick the matter upstairs. A resolution enacting a local law requiring the licensing of master electricians in order for them to be able to do business in Dutchess County was pulled by its sponsor, County Legislator William McCabe (D-LaGrange). But the Legislature voted to urge both the Senate and Assembly in Albany to enact such a law, and abide by the outcome of that vote.
Capital projects totaling $1,401,500 were approved for a parking lot, elevator and boilers at Dutchess Community College. Part of this expense will be met by the issuance of $700,750 in serial bonds of the County of Dutchess.
In keeping with a general climate of environmental consciousness in Dutchess County, a resolution requesting that the county join the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives by participating in its Cities for Climate Protection Campaign was passed 15 to 9. The initiative provides a simple, standardized means of calculating greenhouse gas emissions, establishes target to lower emissions, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and monitors, measures and reports on performance.
At the conclusion of the session, a resolution requesting the county executive to facilitate a reuse feasibility assessment of the Nelson House Annex was passed 16 to 8. The measure, which had been recommended by the report of the Nelson House Citizen’s Advisory Committee, also calls for the 2009 county budget to be prepared without funds designated for the demolition of the building, and for the county executive to provide the Legislature with a monthly written progress report of his efforts to facilitate the reuse assessment.