Referred to: The Laws and Rules, Governmental Services Committee (Chairman Donaldson and Legislators Heppner, Rodriguez, Roberts, and Ronk)

Legislator Lynn Archer offers the following:

WHEREAS, it is the obligation of each Legislator to review the content of every resolution submitted for consideration prior to a vote on the measure, and to have an opportunity to make inquires and receive information in order to make informed decisions; and

WHEREAS, in order to be effective legislation Sponsors, Chairs and Deputies of Standing Committees have a responsibility to become familiar with the specific content of each resolution under consideration in their committees; and

WHEREAS, the current policy utilized for submission of certain resolutions leaves little time for review of said resolutions prior to consideration and action in Standing Committees, making it difficult for Legislators to effectively fulfill their duties; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature believes it is possible to help alleviate these concerns by modifying resolution deadline to be one week sooner; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that Rule 3.   Resolutions, Local Laws, Rules For Procedure for Presentation and Consideration, Section C. Procedure for the submission and consideration of Resolutions in Committee, subsection (a) Regular Resolutions paragraph one, is hereby amended to read as follows:

(a)  Regular Resolutions.   Resolutions shall be deemed Regular Resolutions if they are filed with the Clerk of the Legislature not later than 12:00 Noon five twelve days in advance of the first Regular meeting date of Committees for that Legislative Calendar Month. Regular Resolutions once filed shall be placed on the Committee Agenda of the next Regular meeting of the Committee of Original Jurisdiction unless all Sponsors of the Regular Resolution request it be referred to a later meeting of the Committee.  As part of the Annual Legislative Calendar, the Clerk shall identify the Regular Meeting dates of each Committee of the Legislature.  The Clerk of the Legislature shall provide to the Members of the Legislature the deadline for submission of Regular Resolutions as soon as practicable for the Calendar year;

and, be it further

RESOLVED, that pursuant to Rule 2, entitled “AMENDMENT OF RULES,” of the Rules of Order of the Ulster County Legislature, this resolution and the amendment proposed herein shall be read at two consecutive meetings of the Ulster County Legislature, and, be it further

RESOLVED, that this rule change shall take effect upon an affirmative vote of this body subsequent to two consecutive readings,

and moves its adoption.

FIRST READING:           

SECOND READING:     

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                        NOES:   

Passed Committee: Laws and Rules, Governmental Services on ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE