Letter to Mr. Goodman - Unfreeze a $600K Federal Grant Owed to City of Poughkeepsie

Letter

Dear Mr. Goodman:

I write to urge you to swiftly review and approve the City of Poughkeepsie's Transit Disposition Plan and revised Asset Disposition Plan for the City's bus service transfer to Dutchess County. While it is important to ensure that disposition plans and agreements meet all the necessary Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant requirements, it is my hope that the FTA will promptly review and approve the disposition plans in order to unfreeze grant funds awarded by the FTA to the City of Poughkeepsie for bus operations in Fiscal Year 2015-2016.

The City of Poughkeepsie discontinued transit operations on June 30, 2017 and service was transferred to the County. The City's Transit Disposition and Asset Disposition plans demonstrate the proposals to lease assets purchased with federal funding to Dutchess County and preserve the federal transit interest. The Asset Disposition plan includes an agreement to lease the bus systems to the County in support of the County's transit operation, including for storage, parking and maintenance of buses and other transit assets. The City's Common Council and the Dutchess County Legislature have approved the plan and lease agreement.

I urge you to review and approve the Transit Disposition Plan and revised Asset Disposition Plan as a concluding step in releasing to the City of Poughkeepsie FTA funds awarded for Fiscal Year 2015-2016. As you know, once the FTA approves the revised plan, the City and County will be able to execute the lease agreement and the bus assets would be returned to service immediately. Thank you for your consideration and continued support of the service plans. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

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