Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Greene County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
2 issues with critical priority
Emergency Services Upgrades and Disaster Planning
Six to eleven inches of rain caused major flooding in Greenville, New Baltimore, Coxsackie, and northern Athens. Emergency alerting, shelters, water distribution, and a multi-agency resource center are ongoing; public damage estimates top $500,000, though the county didn't hit the statewide threshold for a federal disaster declaration.
Columbia Memorial Hospital bed reduction plan
CMH's parent Albany Med wants to cut from ~100 operating beds to 25 inpatient and 4 ICU beds to pursue a federal critical access designation. Critics say the DOH bed data looks fabricated and that EMS crews already bypass CMH for critical patients. A failed federal application could leave the community with 25 beds and no reimbursement boost — feeling, some say, like a step toward closure.