The Herald-Courier

Freedom farm owners seek grant funding for rehab of worker housing



FREEDOM, N.Y. – Clayton Wood of Schwab Dairy addressed the Freedom Town Board during its April meeting regarding the Farmworker Safety Housing Grant Program, an initiative through which farms can apply for money, through local municipalities, to rehabilitate housing for farm workers.  New York State’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, available through the CARES Act, will be made available for this program.  Wood said that in Freedom three farms are interested in applying for the grant money – Edelweiss Farms on Osmun Road, Schwab Dairy on Pigeon Hill Road and Bliss Family Farm on Maple Grove Road

According to information from Homes and Community Renewal, it (HCR) will provide up to $10 million in funding “to improve the quality of and facilitate health and safety improvements to farmworker housing, specifically with the goal of creating safer housing conditions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant funds are intended to help farms safely house this critical workforce.” 

A press release from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office states that municipalities can apply for grants of up to $1 million to support a farm or group of farms with 5-10 housing units in need of rehabilitation or replacement “to address issues such as environmental hazards, outdated air filtration systems, and to provide essential personal protective equipment such as masks and hand sanitizer.”

As Supervisor Dustin Bliss is owner/operator of Bliss Family Farm, he stepped out of the meeting room during the discussion.

According to Wood, the funding is a first come, first served initiative.  He asked if the town’s accountant, Jessica Dart, would complete the applications. He said the farm owners would pay Dart $30 per hour to complete the grant applications for each of the three applicants before the June 15 deadline.  Town Clerk Mindy Holland phoned Dart during the meeting to ask if she would be interested in completing the grant applications (with compensation), to which she replied she would.  It was suggested that the town’s attorney draw up an agreement stating that if the grant is awarded, Dart be paid through the grant.  If the grant is not awarded, the farmers themselves will pay Dart.  It was stressed that Freedom taxpayers will not pay anything regarding the grant.  A public hearing will be held May 16 (regular board meeting date), beginning at 7:01 p.m.

In other matters, Clerk Mindy Holland talked a bit about tax season, and commended her deputies, Sherry Bernard, Lisa Reynolds, and Jessica Dart for all their help re: collecting taxes.  Clerk Holland also noted that she has fielded unkind calls from angry residents regarding their taxes.  Clerk Holland has nothing to do with the taxes other than being the person who collects them for the town.  

“I have no input on tax bills,” she said.  “It comes from the county assessors.” 

Also commending employees, Supervisor Dustin Bliss offered “kudos to Jim and his guys,” for the work that Highway Superintendent Jim Haggerty and the employees of the highway department did in keeping the roads clear over the Easter holiday.  

In other business, the board:

  • chose the Blue Moon company for a porta-potty at Sandusky Park.  The cost will be $90 per month and the units are serviced once a week.
  • approved a motion to select Mike Hoffman as the new member of the town’s Planning Board.
  • opened bids for the sale of a mower and a tractor.  Board members subsequently approved the sale of the brush hog (mower) to Rob Bliss for $15,000.  The tractor is to be listed on Auctions International. 
  • received from this reporter some information on executive (closed) sessions as taken from New York’s Committee on Open Government. 

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