Sens. Schumer, Gillibrand announce nearly $17M in federal funds for North Country projects

NEW YORK STATE (WRGB) — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand revealed Thursday that the North Country will receive $16,738,000 in funding from the soon-to-pass bipartisan spending package for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. This funding will provide vital resources for important local projects that address various issues, ranging from upgrading aging water infrastructure to expanding child care, improving emergency response times, and helping to close the digital divide. The bipartisan spending package for FY2024 is expected to pass Congress and be signed into law this week.

“This nearly $17 million in federal funding will bolster projects that address some of the most pressing issues facing the North Country. From upgrading our aging water infrastructure in communities from Whitehall to Watertown, helping our families get better access to child care, and supporting our first responders so they are fully prepared to respond quickly in any emergency,” said Senator Schumer. “This funding means jumpstarting long delayed infrastructure projects and improving quality of life for people in the North Country, all while creating jobs laying the foundation for a brighter future for the North Country.”

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“This is a critical investment that will help revitalize the North Country,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This funding will provide much-needed support for vital projects that will improve quality of life for residents of the North Country, investing in a new child care center, a new emergency services facility, and various other projects that will improve day-to-day life for countless New Yorkers. I’m proud to have fought to secure this funding, and I’ll continue to work tirelessly to make sure North Country families, workers, and businesses have what they need to thrive.”

The senators personally secured funding for these projects as congressionally directed spending requests, including:

• $4.5 Million for the Village of Saranac Lake for Construction of a New Police, Fire, and EMS Building: The funding will be used to build a new police, fire, and EMS building, creating a combined, state-of-the-art emergency services facility for area first responders. The project will improve emergency response times for the rural village, as well as the two counties and six towns in the surrounding service area, to ensure first responders can better support the communities in which they serve.
• $2.75 Million for a Children’s Center in Herkimer County: The funding will be used to construct a new Children’s Center in a child care desert in Herkimer County. The facility will provide affordable services such as general child care support, developmental pediatrics, a children’s mental health clinic, and more to as many as 2,300 local children annually. The facility also has the potential to serve as an engine of opportunity, economic mobility, and financial security for local residents.
• $2 Million for the Village of Rouses Point to Improve the Village’s Water Treatment Plant: The funding will be used for the construction of a new state-of-the-art water treatment plant to serve the Village of Rouses Point, replacing the Village's existing treatment plant, which is over 50 years old and utilizes an outdated treatment technology.
• $2 Million for the Village of Whitehall for Sanitary Sewer Improvements: The funding will be used to help stop the frequent sanitary sewer overflows that currently occur with the 100-year old sewer system and make critical updates to the wastewater treatment plant to comply with a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Attorney General Office consent decree.
• $1,857,000 for the Town of Massena to Improve Water Service: The funding will be used to construct a new water district to serve residents that currently have issues with inadequate or unreliable private wells.
• $1.5 Million for Hamilton County to Deploy Small Scale Cellular Technology: The funding will be used to deploy small scale cellular technology to help close the communications gap in the Adirondacks. The funding will support the engineering and permitting, construction, and administration of infrastructure that will help improve cellular service and internet access for families in this traditionally neglected region, helping to close the digital divide in the North Country.
• $1 Million for the City of Watertown to Improve the City’s Water Treatment Plant: The funding will be used to preserve and improve the city’s water treatment plant, bringing improvements to drinking water quality and promoting water conservation.
• $750,000 for the Development Authority of the North Country for Pipeline Replacement
• $381,000 for the Town of Bolton to Upgrade the Town’s Wastewater Treatment System: The funding will be used to help the town proceed in its multimillion-dollar Wastewater Treatment System Upgrade. The project will help ensure that there continues to be clean ground and surface water in the Adirondack Park and along the shores of pristine Lake George – one of the few waterbodies in the state with AA water ratings.