RESOLUTION NO. 290
A RESOLUTION CALLING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING A PROPOSED INCREASE AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE FACILITIES OF THE ALBANY COUNTY WATER PURIFICATION DISTRICT IN THE COUNTY OF ALBANY, NEW YORK
Introduced: 8/11/25
By Public Works Committee:
WHEREAS, Pursuant to proceedings heretofore had and taken in accordance with the provisions of Article 5-A of the County Law, including approving orders of the State Comptroller, the Albany County Sewer District, has heretofore been established, and
WHEREAS, In October 2017, the name of the Albany County Sewer District was changed to the Albany County Water Purification District (the “District”), and
WHEREAS, The County has heretofore authorized the (i) Sludge Processing Improvement Project; (ii) North Plant Treatment Process Improvement Project; (iii) South Plant Treatment Process Improvement Project and (iv) North and South Plant HVAC Upgrade Project, as part of the County’s 2025-2029 Capital Plan; and
WHEREAS, Pursuant to the Order on Consent No. R4-2014-0902-145 with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the County is undertaking the Sludge Processing Improvement Project which includes the study, design and construction of improvements to the existing North and South Plant sludge processing systems, consisting of improvements to the North and South Plant incinerators and sludge mixing and dewatering systems; installation of a new incinerator emission system at the North Plant, and the construction of a new Septage and FOG receiving station at the North Plant, all as further described in the engineering entitled “Sludge Processing Improvements Study” prepared for the District by Barton & Loguidice DPC, Albany, New York, as the estimated total cost of $65,000,000, and
WHEREAS, Following a determination that certain upgrades to the County’s treatment facilities are necessary and in the public interest, the County has determined to undertake the North Plant Treatment Process Improvement Project, which includes improvements to the unit treatment process associated with the North Plant and consists of the replacement of the mechanical screens, grit system, primary and secondary clarifiers, plant water pumps and upgrades to the high voltage electrical system, all as further described and identified as Phase 1 work in the Capital Improvements Plan Engineering Report, dated May 2024 and prepared for the District by Arcadis of New York, Inc., Albany, New York, at the estimated maximum cost of $72,594,000, and
WHEREAS, Following a determination that certain upgrades to the County’s treatment facilities are necessary and in the public interest, the County has determined to undertake South Plant Treatment Process Improvement Project, which includes improvements to the unit treatment process associated with the South Plant and consists of the replacement of the grit system, primary and secondary clarifiers, plant water pumps and upgrades to the high voltage electrical system, all as further described and identified as Phase 1 work in the Capital Improvements Plan Engineering Report, dated May 2024 and prepared for the District by Arcadis of New York, Inc., Albany, New York, at the estimated maximum cost of $41,042,000, and
WHEREAS, Following a determination that certain upgrades to the County’s treatment facilities are necessary and in the public interest, the County has determined to undertake the North and South Plant HVAC Upgrade Project, which includes the study, design, and construction of improvements to existing HVAC systems at both the North and South Treatment Plants, expected to be completed in accordance with the engineering evaluation being prepared for the District by CHA Consulting Inc., Albany, New York, at the estimated maximum cost of $1,500,000, and
WHEREAS, The County expects that a substantial part of the cost of the projects will be financed through the State of New York Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) or funded from other sources, including grants, and that such grants and/or other funds when received will be applied toward the cost of said projects or redemption of the County bonds or notes issued therefor; and
WHEREAS, The County has previously considered the projects described herein as part of a public hearing held in connection with the adoption of the County’s 2025-2029 Capital Plan; however, EFC has requested that the County conduct a separate public hearing for the such projects; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. A meeting of the County Legislature of the County of Albany, New York, shall be held in the William J. Conboy II Legislative Chambers, Albany County Courthouse, Albany, New York at 7:00 o’clock P.M. (Prevailing Time) on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, for the purpose of conducting a public hearing upon the proposed increase and improvement of facilities of the Albany County Water Purification District (the “District”), consisting of the (i) Sludge Processing Improvement Project, (ii) North Plant Treatment Process Improvement Project, (iii) South Plant Treatment Process Improvement Project, and (iv) North and South Plant HVAC Upgrade Project, and for such other action on the part of said County Legislature in relation thereto as may be required by law or proper in the premises.
Section 2. The notice of such public hearing shall be in substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereof and the Clerk of said County Legislature is hereby authorized and directed to cause a copy of the Notice of Public Hearing to be published once in the “Times Union and “The Evangelist,” each newspaper having a general circulation within the District, not less than ten nor more than twenty days before the date set herein for said public hearing.
Section 3. The Clerk of the County Legislature is hereby further authorized and directed to file a certified copy of the Notice of Public Hearing with the respective Clerk of the City of Albany, City of Cohoes, City of Watervliet, Village of Green Island, Village of Menands, Village of Colonie and the Town of Colonie and Town of Guilderland, together with a detailed summary of the projected debt service costs of the proposed projects and an estimate of the annual debt service charge for each municipality as determined in accordance with the provisions of each municipalities’ respective intermunicipal agreement from 1970 with the Albany County Sewer District, not less than ten days before the date set herein for said public hearing.
Section 4. The engineering reports for each project shall be made available for public inspection on the County website and at the office of the Executive Director of the Albany County Water Purification District, 1 Canal Road, South, Albany, New York 12204, during normal business hours, not less than ten days before the date set herein for said public hearing.
Section 5. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
Exhibit A
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a meeting of the County Legislature of the County of Albany, New York, shall be held at William J. Conboy II Legislative Chambers, Albany County Courthouse, Albany, New York, in said County, on the 26th day of August, 2025, at 7:00 o’clock P.M., Prevailing Time, for the purpose of conducting a public hearing upon a proposed increase and improvement of facilities of Albany County Water Purification District (the “District”) in said County.
The increase and improvement of such facilities consists of the (i) Sludge Processing Improvement Project, at the estimated cost of $65,000,000; (ii) North Plant Treatment Process Improvement Project, at the estimated cost of $72,594,000; (iii) South Plant Treatment Process Improvement Project, at the estimated cost of $41,042,000 and (iv) North and South Plant HVAC Upgrade Project, at the estimated cost of $1,500,000, all as more fully described in the respective engineering reports prepared for the County by the engineer of record for each project, which are available on the County website and in the office of the Executive Director of the Albany County Water Purification District, 1 Canal Road, South, Albany, New York 12204, during regular business hours.
A detailed summary of the projected debt service costs of the proposed projects and an estimate of the annual debt service charge for each municipality served by the District, as determined in accordance with the provisions of each municipalities’ respective agreement with the Albany County Water Purification District, is available by contacting the Executive Director of the District at 518-447-1624.
Dated: August 11, 2025
Albany, New York,
BY ORDER OF THE COUNTY
LEGISLATURE OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY, NEW YORK
By
Clerk of the County Legislature