BY ADAM ATKINSONNorth Country This Week

POTSDAM — The Potsdam village board of trustees has given the nod to a merger of the Potsdam and Canton village housing authorities.

Village trustees voted to approve the merger at their meeting Monday, March 4.

A similar approval is expected from the Canton village board of trustees at its meeting on March 20.

Both housing authorities have been managed by Potsdam Housing Director Robert Santamoor for the last year, and improvements in electrical systems and other infrastructure, as well as in administrative functions have been implemented under Santamoor’s leadership at both organizations. The boards of both authorities have approved of the merger, and Santamoor made the pitch to the Potsdam village board last month.

The new organization would merge 169 HUD public housing units and 50 multi-family units of the Canton housing authority and 100 state Homes and Community Renewal units of the Potsdam housing authority.

The new organization will include the current management agreement with the Potsdam Sandstone Senior Citizens Club for Midtown Apartments.

The new housing authority formed by the merger will function in its own jurisdiction, said the resolution passed by the trustees March 4.

At the village meeting in February, Santamoor said an expansion project that will add 88 units for low to moderate income families is in the works under the new authority once the merger is approved. Santamoor said the expansion would help reduce the wait list for affordable housing in the area.