Referred to: The Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Planning and Transit

Committee (Chairman Maloney and Legislators Berky, Delaune, Lapp, Litts, Maio

and Rodriguez), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gerentine and

Legislators Allen, Bartels, Belfiglio, Briggs, Maio, and Maloney)

Chairman of the Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Planning, and Transit

Committee, James F. Maloney, and Deputy Chairman Hector Rodriguez offer the

following:

 

WHEREAS, this resolution has been submitted by the County Executive on

behalf of the Department of Planning; and

WHEREAS, in the 2015 State of the County Address, County Executive

Michael P. Hein announced the formation of the Ellenville Million Committee and

dedicated one million dollars ($1,000,000) in County funding to support projects

recommended by the Committee; and

WHEREAS, after seeking public input and carefully considering the options

for investing one million dollars to improve economic conditions of the

Ellenville/Wawarsing area, the Ellenville Million Committee prepared its findings

and recommendations consistent with its charge and presented them to the County

Executive for consideration; and

WHEREAS, the Ellenville Million Committee’s recommendations identified

the following sub-program areas or components and the funding amounts described

below:

a) Water and Sewer Infrastructure Improvements: $150,000 will be

utilized to help defray the costs of the needed water and sewer infrastructure

improvements that will allow the shard services between the Village and Town;

b) Economic Development Fund: $175,000 will be used to establish a

“soft landing” fund for developers and new business enterprises within the Village

and Town to apply for assistance in defraying engineering costs and other necessary

costs associated with potential new development;

c) Tourism and Marketing Campaign: $100,000 will be used for tourism

promotion including year-round outdoor activities, historic sites, Shadowland Theatre

and Ellenville’s walkable downtown; 

 

d) Improvements to Outdoor Recreational Opportunities: $150,000 will be

used for the expansion of outdoor recreational opportunities such as rail trails, town

and village parks including pavilions, expanded parking, trail connections and

bathrooms;

e) Historic Preservation Projects at the Shadowland Theater in the Village

of Ellenville: $75,000 will be provided to the Shadowland Theatre for its planned

renovations and to be used to leverage other available grants;

f) Capital Preservation and Improvement Projects at the Hunt Memorial

Building in the Village of Ellenville: $100,000 will be provided for use by the Hunt

Memorial Preservation Committee to assist in the complete restoration of the Hunt

Memorial Building and the establishment of a tourism center;

g) Main Street Improvement Project: $25,000 will be utilized for Main

Street improvements and beautification projects in the downtown historic district to

emphasize assets and complement the surrounding natural beauty and vistas;

h) Project Management, Grant Writing and/or Similar Services: $75,000

will be used for project management including allocations oversight, grant writing,

liaison for public relations and marketing efforts and festivals/events; and

i) Improve Access to High Speed Broadband Project: $150,000 will be

directed to the provision of high speed internet such as high speed fiber within the

US Rt. 209 corridor, critical public entities and businesses, schools, hospital, library,

and other relevant sites; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Economic Development Alliance (UCEDA), a

local development corporation under Section 1411 of the Not-For-Profit Corporation

Law of the State of New York, entered into a contract with the County in September

2015 to effectuate the implementation of the Ellenville Million Program through

projects consistent with the allocations above; and

WHEREAS, to date, approximately $467,000 of the original allocation has

been expended within the above components, resulting in tangible improvements in

Ellenville and Wawarsing, including renovations at the Hunt Memorial Building,

Shadowland Theatre and at three commercial facades on Canal and Center Streets,

improvements to the Smiley Carriage Road Trailhead in Berme Road Park, extension

of the Town’s O&W Rail Trail through the NYS DOCCS property, new tourism

marketing and promotional materials, a study of the feasibility of interconnecting the 

 

Town and Village water and sewer systems, and the development of two grant

applications, including a successful application to the Hudson River Valley

Greenway; and

WHEREAS, with nearly two years’ experience in administering the Ellenville

Million Program and building on the successes of the program to date, UCEDA, in

consultation with the Ellenville Million communities, has recommended revisions to

the existing component descriptions and funding allocations as set forth below; and

WHEREAS, prior approval from the Ulster County Legislature is required

before any funds may be reallocated from the original components of the Ellenville

Million Program; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature hereby approves the

following adjustments to the original descriptions and allocations for the Ellenville

Million Program:

a) Water and Sewer Infrastructure Improvements: The original allocation

of $150,000 is reduced to $45,000. This component will support sewer and water

infrastructure improvements in the Village of Ellenville and the Town of Wawarsing

so that additional water and sewer capacity will be available to businesses seeking to

locate in Ellenville and Wawarsing. Projects may include engineering and

environmental services, rate studies, and the development of an Intermunicipal

Agreement, and/or may be used to leverage funds from other federal or state sources.

b) Economic Development Fund: The original allocation of $175,000 is

reduced to $125,000. This component is renamed as the “Jump Start” Fund. This

component shall be used to provide grants for developers and new business

enterprises within the Village of Ellenville and the Town of Wawarsing, including

awards offered to promising new business ventures identified through a business plan

competition. UCEDA shall create this fund and establish and maintain rules for its

use, which shall include but not be limited to the requirement that new jobs shall be

created in the Village of Ellenville and/or the Town of Wawarsing. “Clawback”

provisions shall be included in the fund’s rules, to ensure that all requirements of the

fund are complied with. 

 

c) Tourism and Marketing Campaign: The original allocation of

$100,000 is increased to $151,500. This component shall be used to assist the Village

of Ellenville and the Town of Wawarsing’s businesses to conduct joint efforts to

promote area recreational opportunities, special events, historic sites, and other

tourism-related attractions.

d) Improvements to Outdoor Recreational Opportunities: The original

allocation of $150,000 is increased to $174,600. This component will seek to

improve and expand outdoor recreational opportunities such as rail trails and parks in

the Village of Ellenville and the Town of Wawarsing.

e) Historic Preservation Projects at the Shadowland Theater in the Village

of Ellenville: The original allocation of $75,000 remains unchanged. This

component will support necessary repairs and maintenance at the historic

Shadowland Theater in the Village of Ellenville.

f) Capital Preservation and Improvement Projects at the Hunt Memorial

Building in the Village of Ellenville: The original allocation of $100,000 remains

unchanged. This component will support capital preservation and improvement

projects to restore the Hunt Memorial Building in the Village of Ellenville, in order

to develop a centrally located community, tourism and cultural center.

g) Main Street Improvement Project: The original allocation of $25,000 is

increased to $50,000. This component will support improvement projects for the

historic downtown district. These projects may include, but will not be limited to,

new street lighting and façade upgrades.

h) Project Management, Grant Writing and/or Similar Services: The

original allocation is reduced to $48,900. This component will be used to provide

project management, grant writing and/or similar services as needed to leverage

addition

 

j) Vocational Training and Workforce Transportation: Drawing from

reductions in allocations for other components, this new component is allocated

$50,000. Consistent with the original goals of the Ellenville Million Program, this

new component will be used to provide training to prepare residents of Ellenville

and/or Wawarsing for re-entry to the workforce and/or to provide limited

transportation services for residents of Ellenville and/or Wawarsing to their place of

work, where such assistance will help residents to secure a job.

k) Grant Matching and Grant Writing Assistance: Drawing from

reductions in allocations for other components, this new component is allocated

$105,000. Consistent with the original goals of the Ellenville Million Program, this

new component will be used to provide assistance with identifying grant

opportunities, preparing grant applications, and meeting local cash match

requirements of grants awarded to businesses, nonprofits and units of local

government located in Ellenville and/or Wawarsing,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES: 21 NOES: 0

(Absent: Legislators Delaune and Maloney)

Passed Committee: Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Planning and Transit

on July 12, 2017

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on July 18, 2017

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY ALLOCATION 

 

STATE OF NEW YORK

 ss:

COUNTY OF ULSTER

I, the undersigned Clerk of the Legislature of the County of Ulster, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is

the original resolution adopted by the Ulster County Legislature on the 18th Day of July in the year Two Thousand and

Seventeen, and said resolution shall remain on file in the office of said clerk.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of the County of Ulster this 19th Day of July in

the year Two Thousand and Seventeen.

|s| Victoria A. Fabella

Victoria A. Fabella, Clerk

Ulster County Legislature

Submitted to the County Executive this Approved by the County Executive this

19th Day of July, 2017. 20th Day of July, 2017.

|s| Victoria A. Fabella |s| Michael P. Hein

Victoria A. Fabella, Clerk Michael P. Hein, County Executive

Ulster County Legislature