Referred to:  The American Rescue Plan Act Special Committee (Chairman Criswell and Legislators Corcoran, Levine, Lopez, and Sperry), The Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation Committee (Chairwoman Petit and Legislators Fabiano, Litts, Nolan, and Stewart), The Health, Human Services and Housing Committee (Chair Walter and Legislators Corcoran, Erner, Lopez, Nolan, Petit, and Uchitelle), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Cahill, Fabiano, Ronk, and Walter)

Chairman of the ARPA Special Committee, Peter J. Criswell, and Deputy Chair Thomas Corcoran, Jr. offer the following:

WHEREAS, this resolution has been submitted at the request of the County Executive on behalf of the Department of Finance, Division of Recovery and Resilience; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature passed Resolution No. 333 dated August 17, 2021 creating Capital Project No. 598, entitled “ARP Mental Health and Addiction Recovery”, with an anticipated allocation in the amount of $5,000,000.00; and

WHEREAS, Resolution No. 333 dated August 17, 2021 resolved that funding for Capital Project No. 598 shall be subject to the further approval of the Ulster County Legislature; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature passed Resolution No. 424 dated October 19, 2021 and resolved that, ‘it shall be the policy of Ulster County to have a Crisis Stabilization Center recommended to operate 24 hours/day, 7 days per week, with sufficient staffing”; and

WHEREAS, Resolution No. 424 dated October 19, 2021 further resolved, “that any project established in furtherance of this policy shall be paid for from the $5,000,000.00 of American Rescue Plan Act funding allocated for the purpose of addressing the need for enhanced Mental Health and Addiction Recovery services throughout Ulster County”; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Behavioral Health Task Force provided a report in September 2021 and identified Crisis Services and creation of a Crisis Stabilization Center as a priority investment for the County; and

WHEREAS, the County of Ulster has identified an opportunity to purchase and utilize an existing commercial office building located at 368 Broadway (the Property) in the City of Kingston, to meet the goals of Resolution No. 424 dated October 19, 2021 and the report of the Behavioral Health Task Force; and

WHEREAS, it is the intent to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the purchase of this Property; and

WHEREAS, regulations implemented by the United States Treasury Department in their published Final Rule (31 CFR Part 35, RIN 1505-AC77), “recognizes that medical equipment and facilities designed to address disparities in public health outcomes are eligible capital expenditures” (see: page 128 of the Final Rule); and

WHEREAS, the Property is located in a central location in the City of Kingston that benefits nearby qualified census tract numbers 9520, 9518, 9514, and 9517 as well as Ulster County as a whole; and

WHEREAS, a crisis stabilization center would allow individuals in need of mental health and addiction services to connect immediately with an integrated team of clinical counselors, peer specialists, and addiction professionals who can provide support and treatment options; and

WHEREAS, although Ulster County has passed Resolution No. 333 dated August 17, 2021 and created Capital Project No. 598 for, “ARP Mental Health and Addiction Recovery”, this resolution asks the Legislature to create a new capital project so that money utilized to purchase 368 Broadway in the City of Kingston is a single capital project and easily identifiable and transparent, and

WHEREAS, Ulster County seeks a transfer of $2,000,000.00 of ARPA Funds in order to establish a crisis stabilization center at the 368 Broadway location; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Legislature hereby determines that the action to purchase the Property as an in-kind reuse of an existing building constitutes a TYPE II action and as such will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment based on the criteria contained in section 6 NYCRR Part 617 and is therefore is exempt from further review under SEQRA; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that Capital Project No. 632 for the crisis stabilization center for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery project be established as follows:

                                                            CREATE                               AMOUNT

Capital Project No. 632                    Crisis Stabilization Center    $2,000,000.00

and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the 2022 Ulster County Capital Fund is hereby amended as follows:

                                                            INCREASE                           AMOUNT

HH.4997.0632-2300.2555               Land Acquisition                  $2,000,000.00

(App. #)

HH.4997.0632-3400.4495               Federal Aid, ARPA               $2,000,000.00

(Rev. #),

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                        NOES:      

Passed Committee: American Rescue Plan Act on _____________.

Passed Committee: Public Works and Capital Projects on _____________.

Passed Committee: Health, Human Services and Housing on _____________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on _____________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$2,000,000.00 – COUNTY CAPITAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS

$2,000,000.00 – FEDERAL CAPITAL FUND REVENUES