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 CountyExecutiveonbehalfDepartment of Finance, Division of Recovery and Resilience;and

WHEREAS,pursuant Resolution No. 333 of August 2021 theUlsterCountyLegislaturecreated Capital Project No. 597, entitled “ARP Housing;” and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 62 of February 2022, theUlsterCountyLegislature approved a contract for the use of Community Development Block Grant Program funding for housing rehabilitation for low and moderate income homeowners in the amount of $800,000.00 being implemented by RUPCO that provides basic rehabilitation activities such as a new roof, handicapped access; electrical and structural repairs needed for safety and code compliance; and 

WHEREAS, energy costs are one of the largest cost components of low and moderate income homeowner’s budget especially in today’s environment and improving energy efficiency and moving away from the use of fossil fuels is a climate smart and economically compelling action consistent with the County’s Green New Deal; and

WHEREAS, Citizen’s for Local Power has initiated a successful internship program working with the Office of Employment Training, local contractors and others to provide on the job training in the area of energy efficiency improvements; and

WHEREAS, there exists an opportunity to assist low and moderate income homeowners beyond basic code compliance rehabilitation by providing funding for

energy improvements in connection with the County’s CDBG Program, while and the same time offering job training using local contractors to individuals in an expanding field; and

WHEREAS, theAmericanRescuePlanAct (ARPA) provided funding to state and local governments known as the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) to broadly address the impacts of the Pandemic and ensure an equitable recovery; and

WHEREAS, regulations implemented by the United State Treasury Department in their published Final Rule (31 CRF Part 35, RIN 1505-AC77) includes ‘households’ as a named beneficiary of SLFRF funds (See pages 19 - 20 of the Final Rule); and low- or moderate-income households are considered impacted by the Pandemic and presumed eligible for responsive programs or services funded by the SLFRF  (See Pages 29 and 30 of the Final Rule); and

WHEREAS, it is the intent of Ulster County to use ARPA SLFRF funds for providing assistance to income eligible homeowners while also offering job training activities to improve the energy efficiency of homes; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County in implementing this program will follow the same conditions and rules that is part of its CDBG Program for which it has made a finding of no significant impact 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 the 2022-2027 Ulster County Capital Improvement Program is amended as follows:

                                         INCREASE                                            AMOUNT

Capital Project No. 642       Homeowner Energy Improvements          $500,000.00 

and, be it further,

RESOLVED, that Capital Project No. 642 is hereby established as follows:

   CREATE                                          AMOUNT

Capital Project No. 642         Homeowner Energy Improvements               $500,000.00

and, be it further,

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

                                                       INCREASE                          AMOUNT                                  

HH. 8097.0642-4300.4360                Environmental Svcs.                        $500,000.00

(App. #)                                        

HH. 8097.0642.3400.4995                Federal Aid, ARPA                           $500,000.00

(Rev. #),

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:    

Passed Committee: American Rescue Plan Act on _______________.

Passed Committee: Economic Development, Planning, Education, Employment, Arts and Agriculture on _______________.

Passed Committee: Energy, Environment and Sustainability on _______________.

Passed Committee: Public Works and Capital Projects on _______________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on _______________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$500,000.00 – COUNTY CAPITAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS

$500,000.00 – FEDERAL CAPITAL FUND REVENUES