The Town Board unanimously approved a resolution last week authorizing the town to remodel a former Jehovah’s Witness hall on Route 22 for use as a new Town Hall.
The board also approved a $1,435,813 project cost estimate prepared by engineering firm LAN.
“This is an important legal step,” Supervisor Chris Kennan said.
The property at 5603 Route 22 has 4,513 square feet of floor space, nearly twice as much as the current Town Hall at 19 N. Maple Ave. Plans call for separate offices for most town employees and departments, along with additional space for town records.
A larger meeting room, which will also serve as the town court, will accommodate up to 40 people.
The building is a single-story structure without a basement, allowing all records and government operations to be located on the ground floor.
The project will be funded by the town and two state grants. The town’s next step will be to adopt a bond resolution finalizing the financing.
Kennan compared the estimated $1.4 million cost with municipal building projects in Pine Plains and Pleasant Valley. Pine Plains is seeking to construct a new Town Hall at an estimated cost of about $4 million. Pleasant Valley chose to renovate an existing building in a project costing more than $8 million.
Wastewater system
Millerton’s planned wastewater system was also discussed at the meeting. Kennan said he walked the proposed installation area with engineers last week. Pipes will run along both sides of the Boulevard, with two connections crossing beneath the road.
The $13.8 million project, one of the community’s largest infrastructure investments in decades, would serve the Village of Millerton’s core and a commercial stretch of the Town of North East along Route 44. Officials say the system will safeguard local waterways while creating a foundation for long-term economic stability.
EMS costs discussed
In other business, Kennan mentioned he presided over a meeting with other regional supervisors in the county regarding EMS costs. North East currently spends $696,000 annually on a contract with Empress EMS to provide 24-hour ambulance services.
Millerton and North East receive less than one 911 call per day. “I am working with Empress to see if there is a way we can configure that coverage to provide the same service at a lower cost to the town.”
At the supervisors’ meeting, Kennan said Dutchess County’s Commissioner of Emergency Services Bill Bealle presented a proposal for the enhancement of EMS services in the county. “It’s just a plan at this point,” Kennan said, “but I hope to be able to bring back something to the board in the next few months.”
Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.L. Tomaino 
