SLINGERLANDS — A little more than eight months stand between now and when Daniel McCoy counts his votes for another term as Albany County Executive; nevertheless, the Democrat had both parties in agreement following his 12th State of the County Address on Thursday, Feb. 24.
McCoy held his annual address from inside Plug Power Inc.’s new manufacturing facility. Its placement, within a technology business park starved for technology, was a capstone achievement for the legislator. When it opened just over a month ago, the 350,000-foot hydrogen fuel cell facility made good in offering new jobs and helping push a green movement. Local politicians praised McCoy’s efforts from the start.
“The Town worked closely with the Albany County Executive’s office and Columbia Development to make this project … possible,” said Bethlehem Town Supervisor David VanLuven.
The County Executive outlined investments in mental health and addiction support, renewable energy, infrastructure upgrades and the creation of strategic shovel-ready sites for future development during the afternoon presentation.
“This facility built by Plug Power is a symbol of what can be accomplished in the face of COVID and other adversities when we work together in a partnership as one community, and that is what makes the state of the county strong,” he said. “Over the last year, we have seen a transformation in Albany County with a number of projects – including the South End Grocery and the offshore wind development in the Ports of Albany and Coeymans – while we also planted the seeds for future growth.
The former Ann Lee Home site that has stood vacant for more than a decade in Colonie will come down as it was announced to be demolished last May. The nearly 38 acres of strategically located land will soon be transformed into a shovel-ready site for a future developer. Redevelopments like this, McCoy said, are driven by the Advance Albany County Alliance.
In order to continue Albany County’s economic growth, the County Executive said the local development corporation will be consolidated into one building next to the Capitol, along with the Albany County Industrial Development Agency , the Albany County Capital Resource Corporation and the Albany County Land Bank Corporation. This will create a one-stop-shop for those looking to do business in the county.
McCoy also called for the creation of an Arts and Culture Subcommittee within the Advance Albany County Alliance local development corporation, responding to the devastation of the pandemic. The goal of this subcommittee, he said, is to provide a mechanism to create an essential backstop for this industry to ensure it continues to flourish for generations to come.
“Despite our progress, we are still feeling the lingering impacts of the pandemic, in terms of mental health, workforce challenges and more, McCoy said. “We need to continue to be focused on tackling critical issues like opioid overdoses and teen suicide rates, but we also need to tackle those challenges by utilizing smart analysis and a data-driven approach. For the first time ever, Albany County now has a fellowship program. These individuals are aiding our Departments of Mental Health and Children, Youth and Families to develop a curriculum for coping mechanisms, support systems and more.”
Albany County Legislative Minority Leader Frank A. Mauriello (R,C- Colonie) said he and his party agreed the County was “making good progress” following McCoy’s speech.
“Our Republican and Conservative Conference members agree with County Executive Dan McCoy that Albany County is making good progress,” he said. “The eight percent property tax rate cut this year was something the Republican and Conservative Conference pushed hard for. The Executive and Legislature are making strides in mental health, sensible green initiatives and economic development. One improvement opportunity would be to get more real data on how successful we are in moving people from dependency to independence. That should be one of our core missions.”
During the State of the County presentation, the new state-of-the-art Data Analytics, Research and Technology Center was unveiled. Investments have been made to transform part of the Shaker Place tower into an innovative technology and data center, which will be instrumental in the development of cutting-edge programs, the execution of county operations and future responses to storm, health and other emergencies.
“I’m also proud to announce that Albany County alone has received $1.5 million for 2023 from the State Opioid Settlement Board. We’ve already received $1.6 million from other settlements with over $10 million over the next 16 years from current settlements. The expectation is that other settlements will follow. This funding will bolster our addiction treatment and recovery efforts, with additional funds coming in future years. Furthermore, I’m looking forward to officially releasing our American Rescue Plan funding application process in April. This will allow us to work with the community to heal even more of the wounds caused by the pandemic and continue to move forward,” he continued.
McCoy announced several plans he said would fortify the County Climate Resiliency Plan. The State of the County Address included plans for Albany County to fully convert its vehicle fleet from combustion engines to electric within the next five years. The plan is backed by the recent tripling of the electric vehicle fleet with the purchase of four electric Ford F-150 Lightning trucks and eight Chevy Bolt electric utility vehicles.
Two public works department highway garage replacement projects in Coeymans and Knox will exemplify renewable energy and will come equipped with roof-mounted photovoltaic solar arrays.
The Coeymans highway garage will also be the county’s first geothermal-heated building. Furthermore, in partnership with National Grid and Siemens, the County Executive announced construction would soon begin on a County solar-power project in the Town of Colonie.
