Referred to:  The American Rescue Plan Act Special Committee (Chairman Criswell and Legislators Corcoran, Levine, Lopez, and Sperry), The Economic Development, Planning, Education, Employment, Arts and Agriculture Committee (Chairman Cahill and Legislators Corcoran, Criswell, Hewitt, Litts, Maloney and Sperry), The Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee (Chairwoman Greene and Legislators Hansut, Erner, Maloney, and Stewart), The Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation Committee (Chairwoman Petit and Legislators Fabiano, Litts, Nolan, and Stewart), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Cahill, Fabiano, Ronk, and Walter)

Chairwoman of the Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee, Manna Jo Greene, offers the following:

            WHEREAS, this resolution has been submitted at the request of the County Executive on behalf of the Planning Department; and

WHEREAS, pursuant Resolution No. 333 of August 2021 the Ulster County

Legislature created Capital Project No. 597, entitled “ARP Housing;” and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 62 of February 2022 the Ulster County Legislature 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, pursuant to Resolution No. 341 of July 2022 the Ulster County Legislature provided ARPA funding to Citizen’s for Local Power to continue and expand it successful internship program working with the Office of Employment Training, local contractors and other 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, the energy efficiency improvement Program, in addition to reducing energy costs, will be structured so as to gather information on typical costs of energy retrofits, cost savings to homeowners and energy saved per unit so as to assist in attracting additional funding in combination with public support and private sector funding for low interest loans; and

WHEREAS, the American Rescue Plan Act (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 whereby a Final Rule on the uses of SLFRF funds includes, assistance to households, small businesses, and not for profits; and

WHEREAS, it is the intent of Ulster County to use ARPA SLFRF funds for providing assistance to income eligible households 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 Ulster County Capital Program is amended as follows

                                                            INCREASE                                      AMOUNT   

Capital Project No, 642                   Homeowner Energy                         $400.000.00

                                                           Improvements– ARPA

 and, be it further  

RESOLVED, that the Capital Project No. 642 is hereby amended and funded as follows:

INCREASE                                      AMOUNT

Capital Project 642                           Homeowner Energy                         $400,000.00

                                                           Improvements – ARPA

and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the 2022-2027 Ulster County Capital Fund Budget is hereby amended as follows: 

                                                            INCREASE                                      AMOUNT

HH.8097.0629.4300.4360              Environmental Services                 $400,000.00

(App#)

HH.8097.0629.3400.4995              Federal Aid, ARPA                          $400,000.00

(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:  The Energy, Environment and Sustainability on ______________.

Passed Committee:  Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation on _______________.

Passed Committee:  Ways and Means on _______________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$400,000.00 – COUNTY CAPITAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS

$400,000.00 – FEDERAL CAPITAL FUND REVENUES