Referred to:  The Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Planning and Transit Committee (Chairman Woltman and Legislators Archer, Delaune, Maio, James Maloney, Joseph Maloney, and Rodriguez)

Legislators James Delaune , Hector Rodriguez, and Brian Woltman and Legislators Nolan and Petit offer the following:

WHEREAS, Ulster County has been a strong proponent of Open Space, establishing a program to provide funds to various projects throughout the county to protect and preserve valuable agricultural lands, water resources, wildlife habitat and scenic vistas; and

WHEREAS, open space preserves ecosystems that help to drawdown and sequester carbon; and

WHEREAS, local municipalities have expressed an interest in creating their own Open Space Programs through the establishment of Community Preservation Programs; and

WHEREAS, the Community Preservation Program would allow municipalities to develop plans and provide funds, through the imposition of a real property transfer tax, for the protection and preservation of lands within their own communities; and

WHEREAS, municipalities in Ulster County should have the opportunity to opt for the creation of their own Community Preservation Programs; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature send a Home Rule Request in support of the New York State Legislature amending general municipal law and the tax law to include Ulster County as a “designated community” within the Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act of 2007; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Legislature shall send a certified copy of this resolution to Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, the Governor of the State of New York and to each member of the State Senate and Assembly whose districts include all or part of Ulster County, so that they may be apprised hereof and take all necessary and appropriate action to enact this legislation,