Referred to:  The Energy and Environment Committee (Chairwoman Greene and Legislators Eckert, Heppner, Wawro, and Woltman), The Public Works and Capital Projects Committee (Chairwoman Petit and Legislators Fabiano, Greene, Litts, and Nolan), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairwoman Archer and Legislators Gerentine, Maio, Joseph Maloney, Petit, Rodriguez, and Ronk)

Legislators Joseph Maloney and Laura Petit offer the following:

WHEREAS, Ulster County understands that climate change poses a real and increasing threat to our local and global environments and is primarily exacerbated by the current burning of fossil fuels; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County’s timely response to climate change provides us with an unprecedented opportunity to build livable, energy independent and secure communities, vibrant innovative economies, healthy and safe schools, and resilient infrastructures; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County has established itself as an energy and environmental leader through policies, resolutions and local laws, including those establishing the County as an Energy Smart Community, requiring the purchase of renewable energy, establishing energy efficient building standards, establishing a County Green Fleet Policy, and other resolutions regarding green, energy conscious purchasing; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Executive signed Executive Order Number 1 of 2019, which the Legislature codified on September 17, 2019, establishing ambitious new goals for the County’s ongoing efforts to combat climate change, including community-wide greenhouse gas emissions targets and the adoption of the Ulster County Climate Action Plan; and

WHEREAS, County owned buildings, under the Capital Improvement Plan, will continue to have old roof systems renovated/replaced or may erect new buildings in the future; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, as a Green Initiative and Climate Smart leader, it shall be the policy of the County of Ulster to explore and consider engineering all new, renovated and/or replaced roofs on County owned buildings to support solar arrays; and, be it further

RESOLVED, when a determination has been made that a rooftop solar installation is not feasible for any such Ulster County project, a report to the Public Works and Capital Project Committee shall be made within 30 days of said determination,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                        NOES:   

Passed Committee: Energy and Environment on ____________.

Passed Committee: Public Works and Capital Projects on ____________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on ____________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

TBD PER PROJECT