County allows use of communications center
By MICHAEL ANICH, The Leader-HeraldJOHNSTOWN - The Fulton County Board of Supervisors Monday authorized an agreement with the Tryon Amateur Radio Club to allow it to use the county's Emergency Communications Center on Route 29.
The club recently asked to use the center and the board approved a memorandum of understanding between the county and the club at the board's meeting at the County Office Building.
The county's emergency operations center is located above the county Highways and Facilities Department garage. The club will use the emergency center for meetings, training, radio testing and drills.
County officials said allowing the club to use the center and the establishment of guidelines for use of the county facility is in the interest of the Federal Communications Commission. Officials said the local club is part of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, whose primary responsibility is to render public service communications in the event normal communications are not available.
In other action by the board Monday:
Supervisors awarded food bids to vendors for the Fulton County Jail, effective Jan. 1 and running through April 30. Sysco Foods Inc. of Halfmoon was awarded a $19,762 frozen-foods bid and a $32,431 refrigerated foods-dry goods bid. George Weston Bakeries of Albany was awarded a $6,875 bread and rolls bid.
"It's actually down a little bit," county Administrative Officer Jon Stead said of the jail bid prices.
Skiff's Dairy of Johnstown was awarded a bid of $8.50 per case and $2.55 per gallon for milk products for the jail.
The board formally approved the county's annual $1.39 million appropriation to Fulton-Montgomery Community College for a period from September 2009 to August 2010. The appropriation is in four installments of $348,955 each.
The board authorized separate contracts through 2010 with Jennifer Groff of Johnstown and Nicole Krawczeski for physical therapy services in the county Nursing Service at a rate of $56 per hour.
The board authorized the application and acceptance of a $31,430 2010 STOP Violence Against Women grant from the state Department of Criminal Justice Services. Funding will be allocated for the base salary of the county's fourth assistant district attorney, who specializes in domestic violence cases.
An annual report on state equalization was approved by the board. Equalization rates set, as used toward application of county real property taxes, were as follows: Gloversville - 100 percent; city of Johnstown - 70 percent; Bleecker - 100 percent; town of Broadalbin - 87 percent; Caroga - 45 percent; Ephratah - 73.3 percent; town of Johnstown - 73 percent; town of Mayfield - 67 percent; Northampton - 60.4 percent; Oppenheim - 55.3 percent; Perth - 52 percent; and Stratford - 60 percent.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com.
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hardworkingmom
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12-05-09 10:09 AM
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Thank you board for allowing the Tryon Amateur Radio Club to remain in your building, a central location. Many people are not aware that this group of volunteers provide safety, health and welfare communication for the county with no cost to anyone but the operators themselves. By keeping them in a central location it makes communications more efficient. When reading how certain communications failed during 9/11, this is one type of communication NY wished was more developed. We have it and can use it! The events this organization assists with not only assists the event, but also will provide them practice in disaster preparedness communications. What would you do if our phone and communication grids go down? As they did when the blackout of 2005 occurred. How would emergency vehicles get to where they need to be? I thank this group of volunteers for the FREE service they provide. Gives me peace of mind.
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