Referred to:  The Economic Development, Planning, Education, Employment, Arts and Agriculture Committee (Chairman Cahill and Legislators Corcoran, Criswell, Hewitt, Litts, Maloney and Sperry), The Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation Committee (Chairwoman Petit and Legislators Erner, Fabiano, Litts, and Nolan), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Cahill, Criswell, Roberts, and Ronk)

Chairwoman of the Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation Committee, Laura Petit, and Deputy Chair Dean 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 shift to a clean energy economy required by the New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (“Climate Act”) is expected to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the next several decades, increasing net employment by an estimated 179,000 jobs in 2030 and 267,000 jobs in 2050, according to the 2021 Jobs Study of the New York State Just Transition Working Group; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County and New York State currently lack the trained workforce to fill these new jobs, and without these trained workers, New York will be unable to meet the requirements of the Climate Act and reduce climate-damaging emissions within the timeframe necessary to help avert increased risk of dangerous warming; and

WHEREAS, historic levels of federal funding have been made available through the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and CHIPS for America Act to spur domestic manufacturing and jobs in clean energy sectors and green technologies, providing a unique opportunity for Ulster County to attract new investment and create jobs; and

WHEREAS, a local qualified workforce is the foremost consideration of companies when making decisions about where to locate their businesses and operations; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County desires to take advantage of the new economic and job opportunities created by federal and state policies to address climate change and diversify the local economy; and 

WHEREAS, Ulster County seeks to position Ulster County for these opportunities by developing and participating in a Workforce Innovation Center for the Green Economy, to be located on the iPark87 Campus, in collaboration with SUNY Ulster, SUNY New Paltz and other educational, labor, community, and workforce development partners; and

WHEREAS, the Workforce Innovation Center for the Green Economy will be a national model of collaboration, working with employers to develop curriculum, micro-credentials, apprenticeships, and other programs to create a pipeline for our residents into good-paying, family-sustaining job opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the Workforce innovation Center will lead with equity, reducing barriers to job training and educational opportunities by low-income and historically marginalized communities in Ulster County; and 

WHEREAS, Ulster County desires to co-locate the County Offices of Economic Development, Employment and Training, and Tourism with the Workforce Innovation Center at iPark-87 to better integrate work and services of these Departments with one another and with the work of Workforce Innovation Center partners; and

WHEREAS, iPark87, the site of the former Tech City/IBM complex, is an ideal site for locating the Workforce Innovation Center and County economic development and workforce training services because of its geographic location, ease of accessibility by bus service, and its desirability as a location for companies in clean tech, fiber optics, and other industries; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 1411 of the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law (“N-PCL”) of the State of New York (herein, the “LDC Act”), the Ulster County Economic Development Alliance, Inc. was established as a not-for-profit local development corporation; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to the LDC Act, the UCEDA is authorized to operate exclusively for the charitable or public purposes of relieving and reducing unemployment, promoting and providing for additional and maximum employment, bettering and maintaining job opportunities, instructing or training individuals to improve or develop their capabilities for such jobs, carrying on scientific research for the purpose of aiding a community or geographical area by attracting new industry to the community or area or by encouraging the development of, or retention of, an

industry in the community or area, and lessening the burdens of government and acting in the public interest; and

WHEREAS, the UCEDA has agreed to enter into a Lease Agreement, as lessee, with iPark87, LLC pursuant to the terms and conditions approved by the UCEDA Board of Directors; and

WHEREAS, the UCEDA has agreed to enter into a SubLease Agreement, as lessor, with Ulster County for up to 20,000 square feet at $12.75 per square foot in base rent with a 2% increase annually, plus utilities to accommodate the County Departments of Employment and Training, Tourism, and Economic Development, and a portion of programmatic space for the Workforce Innovation Center; and

WHEREAS, SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Ulster have provided Letters of Intent to enter into SubLease agreements for an additional 20,000 square feet of space for the Workforce Innovation Center; and

WHEREAS, the UCEDA has agreed to enter into separate SubLease agreements with educational partners to further development the robust programs and services that will become the Workforce Innovation Center; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Chair of the Ulster County Legislature is hereby authorized to execute the Sub-lease Agreement with the UCEDA as modified and approved by the County Attorney, and, be it further

RESOLVED, this Resolution shall take effect immediately,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:    

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

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

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on ______________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$355,000 – ANTICIPATED 2024 APPROPRIATION DOLLARS

$360,100 – ANTICIPATED 2025 APPROPRIATION DOLLARS

$365,302 – ANTICIPATED 2026 APPROPRIATION DOLLARS

$370,609 – ANTICIPATED 2027 APPROPRIATION DOLLARS

$376,021 – ANTICIPATED 2028 APPROPRIATION DOLLARS