BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON -- St. Lawrence County legislators have signed off on a memorandum of agreement for fiscal year 2023/24 with the Adirondack Regional Hazmat Consortium for hazardous materials emergency preparedness funding.

The agreement was signed during the July 1 full board meeting of the county legislature.

The consortium is an existing regional partnership between St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Warren, and Washington counties, officials say.

"The Consortium seeks to solidify their existing partnership to achieve a more efficient use of all staff in response, management, bidding and procurement for supplies and contractors to sustain all existing equipment, which preparing a long-range purchase/upgrade plan to continue to provide superior services to the respective counties," the resolution states.

Officials say grant funds are being leveraged to assist the consortium with efforts to sustain and enhance its capabilities.

Warren County, which operated as the fiduciary agent, applied on behalf of the consortium for fiscal year 2023/24 Hazardous Material Emergency Preparedness Grant funding through the New York State Division Homeland Security.

The grant application was successful to the tune of $20,000, with a local match of not more than 25% or $4,000 to be paid through in-kind services and a cash match that will be divided into seven equal shares between the participating counties, officials say.

The contribution requested of St. Lawrence County will be $571, according to county officials.