JOHNSTOWN — The Fulton County Board of Supervisors on Monday adopted a local law mandating that people who purchase a prepaid cell phone must start paying a 30-cent-per-month surcharge.
Action by the board followed a public hearing at the County Office Building in which no one spoke.
The local law mandates people purchasing a prepaid cell phone in Fulton County pay a public safety surcharge by Dec. 1, like those with postpaid devices do already. The 2017-18 state budget includes new county authority to charge a 30-cent surcharge on all prepaid and postpaid devices.
Most counties, including Fulton County, enacted local laws in 2012 to establish a surcharge on wireless cell phone devices. At that time, state law only applied to postpaid devices. The board’s action repeals the 2012 local law and enacts a new blanket surcharge for all cell phones — both postpaid and prepaid.
In other business:
∫ The board authorized the sale of three computers to the town of Caroga.
“We were actually going to see them at auction,” said county Administrative Officer Jon Stead.
Stead was authorized to sell three surplus Dell Optilex 760 computers to Caroga at a cost of $25 for each computer. The equipment was removed from the county’s fixed assets inventory.
∫ Supervisors terminated the County Airport’s master plan environmental assessments project. The Federal Aviation Administration advised the county the plan should not include a runway extension project for several years.
∫ The board authorized a $9,625 contract with Correll Roofing of Gloversville for a roof replacement project at the Fort Johnstown Annex. Officials also authorized a $10,800 contract with Claus Construction of St. Johnsville for a roof replacement at the airport’s enterprise building.
∫ An $84,975 grant agreement was approved for 2017 State Homeland Security Program funds to benefit the county’s Civil Defense Office and Sheriff’s Department.
∫ The board voted to seek bids until 2 p.m. Aug. 16 for a landfill compactor. Bids are to be received at the County Office Building.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at [email protected]
