Teamwork, building on projects, initiatives focus for Ossenfort

MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Building on the accomplishments of the last 10 years will be a priority for Montgomery County Executive Matthew Ossenfort as he passes the halfway point on his final term.

“When you look at the results, and what has happened over the last 10 years, [they] show that we've made some big steps forward,” Ossenfort said Thursday during the annual State of the County address and celebration of the 10th anniversary of the shift to a charter form of government. The special occasion was marked at Julian's in Amsterdam.

Ossenfort was the first elected executive when the county formally shifted to a charter form of government in 2014. The county charter limits the office to three consecutive terms and he is now in his final four-year term expiring at the end of 2025.

While resources were initially limited, Ossenfort said the change in government brought stability and then advancement to the county, as a well-equipped team was formed that is prepared to continue moving forward when his time in office concludes.

“This has allowed us to really change culture, change who we are, put our best foot forward, and be the people that we know we are,” Ossenfort said. “I'm just so proud of this team we have put in place … I feel truly like we have a team of All-Americans.”

Recounting achievements of the last decade, Ossenfort is looking to expand upon several recent projects and initiatives during his remaining tenure.

Moving essential services out of the floodplain, modernizing county facilities and addressing overcrowding have been longstanding priorities that began coming to fruition with the relocation of the Emergency Management Office and construction of the Shared Services Facility.

The second phase of renovations to the former Recorder newspaper building at 1 Venner Road for conversion into the Health and Human Services building will further that goal. Department of Social Services staff moved into the facility after the first phase wrapped up at the end of last year.

The eventual relocation of the Departments of Public Health and Mental Health to that building will free up space in other county buildings for further renovations for the eventual relocation of the offices of the district attorney and county clerk and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Especially cramped quarters at the DMV have employees sitting back-to-back and maneuvering around one another to simply open doors, Ossenfort said.

“We're not going to solve everything overnight, but these are the goals and these are the things that we need to strive for and try to do down the line,” Ossenfort said. “We're starting to look at the plans and the space and the needs and the improvements that need to be made.”

Extending public transit to the western half of the county will be another long-range goal, building from the introduction of Capital District Transportation Authority bus service in the Amsterdam area in August 2022. The county previously did not have any public transit.

“It's had a tremendously positive impact,” Ossenfort said. “Transportation is a challenge in all rural communities, and Montgomery County is no exception. And so when you can bring in the state resources — with a very minimal match locally — to provide transportation, you have to do it.”

Although attention is presently on building ridership on the initial routes, Ossenfort said a second phase expanding services has always been eyed by local and state officials. He expects related discussions will start over the next two years.

After years of legwork, Ossenfort believes the redevelopment of the former Beech-Nut plant at Thruway Exit 29 in Canajoharie is drawing near in order to transform the languishing site into an asset for the community and the broader county.

Demolition of the western half of the plant is nearing completion. Pennrose Properties, LLC is buying that end of the property from the county for $450,000 in order to develop a mixed-use space. The previously demolished eastern half is under contract by cannabis producer E29 Labs which is awaiting state licensing.

Acknowledging frustration with the slow and uncertain licensing process by the state Office of Cannabis Management, Ossenfort is confident it’s only a matter of time before the site is redeveloped.

“Regardless of how that works out, there's still opportunity on the horizon, you still have a clean site that is a highly attractive site with all the infrastructure, and should [E29] not work out, then I think we still have a lot of good ways to go to move forward in a positive way,” Ossenfort said.

Another priority will be the continuation of the county’s recently created tourism program to draw visitors and new residents to the region through community events and initiatives highlighting local businesses and attractions.

“We have an aging population. We need people. We need to get people here to see what it's like,” Ossenfort said. “We need to showcase this county, show off the assets and give people a reason to move here. Because if we don't, we're going to be in for some real challenges down the road.”

While those are among the present priorities, Ossenfort acknowledged the county is going to continue to grow and reinvent itself over time after he eventually leaves office.

“We’ve got this great team. It's going to continue to move things forward and someone else will be able to put their stamp on it. That's exciting. That's a good thing. Where I get choked up is the relationships,” Ossenfort said. “I’m just incredibly proud … to know that we left this place better than the way we found it.”