Referred to:  The Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee (Chairwoman Greene and Legislators Hansut, Levine, Maloney, and Stewart), 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 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. 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, the Department of Public Works commissioned a study to determine the feasibility of a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system and 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; made of steel trusses and a concrete plank roof system; 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 approved 2023-2028 Capital Improvement Program includes a project “Solar Array Siting Project” in the amount of $1,300,000.00 for the life of the program and 2023 project expenditures in the amount of $300,000; and

WHEREAS, a 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, 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 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, the Department of Public Works is committed to supporting 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 it shall be the responsibility of the contractor to remove, move, or disconnect the solar array in the event the roof needs to be inspected or repaired in the future; and

WHEREAS Capital Project No. 653, Hall of Records Rooftop Solar Array Project, was established pursuant to Resolution No. 638 of 2022 on December 19, 2022 and funded engineering services to design a rooftop solar array for the Department of Public Works; and 

          WHEREAS, the Commissioner of Public Works requests that Capital Project No. 653 be amended to increase the funding available for construction services in the amount of $360,000.00 for a total project cost of $410,100.00; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the 2023-2028 Ulster County Capital Improvement Program is amended as follows:

                                                   INCREASE                                       AMOUNT

Capital Project No. 653                 Hall of Records                              $110,100.00                                                            Rooftop Solar Array Project

and, be it further

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

                                                  AMEND                                    AMOUNT

Capital Project No. 653                 Hall of Records                                  $361,600.00

                                                      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              Professional Services                   $   1,600.00

(App. #)       

HH.1997.0653-2300.2550              Construction Services                  $360,000.00

(App. #)                                        

HH.1997.0653-3500.5710              Revenue- Serial Bonds                $361,600.00

(Rev. #),

and move 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:

$361,600.00 – COUNTY CAPITAL FUND APPROPRIATION

$361,600.00 – COUNTY REVENUE – SERIAL BONDS

***A BOND RESOLUTION WILL BE REQUIRED ***