Referred to:  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 Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation Committee, Laura Petit, and Deputy Chair Dean J. Fabiano offer the following:

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

          WHEREAS, the Hall of Records is a records storage facility located at 300 Foxhall Avenue in Kingston, which has been owned and occupied by the Ulster County government since 1997; and

WHEREAS, Pursuant to Resolution No. 383 of 2022, which established Capital Project No. 639, the Department of Public Works replaced the roof at the Hall Of Records; and

WHEREAS, Pursuant to Resolution No. 416 of 2019, it is 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

WHEREAS, Department of Public Works requested the Department of the Environment commission a study to determine the feasibility of a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system on the Hall of Records building; and

WHEREAS, said Feasibility Study determined that a rooftop solar PV system is feasible at the Hall of Records building; and

WHEREAS the Hall of Records roof is approximately 22,550 square feet; served by a single electricity meter and a rooftop solar array would produce approximately 56% of the building’s average electricity needs each year; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works understands and recognizes climate change poses an increasing threat to the environment and is exacerbated by burning fossil fuels; and

WHEREAS, this project is an example of the Department of Public Works commitment to support 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, the Solar Array Siting Capital Project is a multi-year program that aims to maximize the use of solar arrays on county property. Solar arrays come in many different forms and uses, such as covered carports; stand-along ground-mounted; rooftop; and side-mounted to a building, to name a few design options; and

          WHEREAS, The goal of the Solar Array Siting Capital Project is to develop onsite renewable solar energy to meet existing and future electricity demands and individual project locations will be established as specific projects are planned and created; and        

          WHEREAS, project expenditures in the amount of $1,300,000.00 in 2023 were approved in the 2023 – 2028 Capital Improvement Program; and

          WHEREAS, funding will be used for engineering services to design a rooftop solar array at the Hall of Records; and

          WHEREAS, the Commissioner of Public Works requests that Capital Project

No. 653 be established and funded in the amount of $48,500.00; now, therefore be it

          RESOLVED, that Capital Project No. 653 for the Hall of Records Rooftop Solar Array Project be established as follows:

                                                  CREATE                         AMOUNT

Capital Project No. 653                 Hall of Records                                  $48,500.00

                                                      Rooftop Solar Array Project

and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the 2023 Ulster County Capital Fund budget is hereby amended as follows:

INCREASE                                AMOUNT                                  

HH.1997.0653-4300.4505             Design                                         $48,500.00

(App. #)                                        

HH.1997. 0653-3500.5710            Serial Bonds                                 $48,500.00

(Rev. #),

and moves its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                        NOES:     

Passed Committee:  Energy, Environment and Sustainability on ______________.

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

Passed Committee:  Ways and Means on ______________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$48,500.00 - COUNTY CAPITAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS

$48,500.00 - COUNTY REVENUE – SERIAL BONDS

***A BOND RESOLUTION WILL BE REQUIRED*