HALLENBECK RESIGNS FROM SPACE UTILIZATION SUBCOMMITTEE

Carole Osterink

ccSCOOP Editor

04-18-10 - 11:20 a.m. - The Columbia County Board of Supervisors has created a new subcommittee and tasked it with finding a new location for the Columbia County Department of Social Services. With time running out on the current building's lease and the City of Hudson looking at the building as a new location for its police department and city court, the new Space Utilization Subcommittee met for the first time last Thursday, April 16, and spent a great deal of the hour they were together discussing a mission statement.

The subcommittee is chaired by Hudson Fifth Ward Supervisor Bart Delaney and cochaired by Ghent Supervisor Larry Andrews. Members of the subcommittee included Supervisors William Hughes (Hudson-4), William Hallenbeck (Hudson-3), Pat Grattan (Kinderhook), Art Bassin (Ancram), Jeff Brailey (Austerlitz), and Ray Staats (Clermont), and as non-voting members Hudson Mayor Rick Scalera, Commissioner of Social Services Paul Mossman, Deputy Commissioner of Social Services Michaele Williams-Riordan, Commissioner of Public Works David Robinson, and Director of Engineering Dean Knox.

In his opening remarks at the meeting, Delaney explained that the subcommittee, following "the model used to make the decision to keep Pine Haven in Philmont, would be "looking at all options, and let the best option rise to the top." The subcommittee has been officially charged with (1) investigating available alternatives that would satisfy the space needs for the Department of Social Services for the next twenty years (2011 to 2031); and (2) summarizing the findings of this investigation in report format for presentation to a joint meeting of the Human Services and Public Works committees.

During the discussion of the mission statement, Hallenbeck asked, "Why hasn't a mission statement been completed a long time ago?" Later he seemed impatient with the idea of repeating work that had already bee done, since the site selection criteria proposed repeats the criteria used in evaluating sites when the county made the decision to buy the old Ockawamick School.

The following day, Hallenbeck announced his resignation from the subcommittee, citing conflict of interest.

“As many of my constituents are aware, my wife is employed by the Department of Social Services, thus, creating a clear conflict of interest. While some would say that exceptions could be made, or there are ways around that conflict, I firmly believe that neither the County nor the City can move forward in an appropriate and productive manner if those of us in representative and leadership positions fail to recognize when we should step aside from certain committees, recuse ourselves from certain votes, and defer to others during certain policy discussions, when conflicts exist.      

“I am hopeful that this newly formed Subcommittee will work diligently and “in front of open doors” to find the most cost effective and client compassionate solution.”

One wonders why this "clear conflict of interest" hadn't occurred to Hallenbeck before.