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 CountyExecutiveonbehalfoftheDepartment of Finance, Division of Recovery and Resilience;and

WHEREAS,pursuant Resolution No. 333 of August 2021 theUlsterCountyLegislaturecreated Capital Project No. 600, entitled “ARP Food Security and Access”; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 547 theUlsterCountyLegislature adopted the 2022-2027 Capital Improvement Program which recommended funding for Capital Project No. 600 including a Food Security and Access initiative to support and strengthen the local food system and foster sustainability; and

WHEREAS, according to Pattern for Progress's May 2020 report, entitled, “Vulnerability Revealed, Covid-19 and the Hudson Valley Food System”, food insecurity impacts 10% of the County’s population or 17,940 individuals. Of those individuals, 66% are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other food assistance benefit programs while 34% are not eligible and must rely solely on the emergency feeding network; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County has faced events such as the March 2022 ice storm and power outages and the COVID19 shutdown starting in March of 2020 that have stressed the emergency feeding network in novel and unanticipated ways; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County is reliant upon the emergency feeding network to meet the ongoing needs of some of our most vulnerable citizens as well as to respond and provide community resilience during emergency events; and

WHEREAS, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County provides programming, education and outreach around nutrition and emergency preparedness, as well as builds and maintains relationships with agricultural businesses and suppliers; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County has identified a need to convene an Emergency Food Working Group as well as to complete a Food System Resilience Report which would help to ensure adequate healthy food supply to those residents in need of assistance on a day-to-day basis as well as in emergency situations; and

WHEREAS, the County has identified Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County as the partner to convene this effort by engaging the emergency food network, local agricultural producers, suppliers and others in a meaningful planning and coordination process; and

WHEREAS, community food assistance and, “capital expenditures related to food banks and other facilities primarily dedicated to addressing food insecurity” are is an enumerated eligible uses of the AmericanRescuePlanAct (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) (See Final Rule, 31 CFR Part 35, RIN 1505-AC77, pages 80 and 81); and

WHEREAS, it is the intent to use ARPA SLFRF funds for this food system planning work; and

WHEREAS, planning studies have been determined to be a Type II action under 6 NYCRR Part 617 of the Regulations of Article 8 of the Environmental Conservation Law of New York and no further environmental review is required; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that Capital Project No. 600 is hereby amended as follows:

     INCREASE                              AMOUNT

DELETE

Capital Project No. 600                       Food Security                         $350,000.00  

 and be it further,

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

                                             INCREASE                                  AMOUNT

HH.6997.0600-4300.4505             Professional Services                    $350,000.00         

AA.1310.1079-4300.4505

(App. #)                                                                             

HH. 6997.0600-3500.5710           Federal Aid, ARPA                     $350,000.00

AA.1310.1079-3400.4095

(Rev. #),