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), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Cahill, Criswell, Roberts, and Ronk)

Legislators Joe Maloney and Kenneth J. Ronk, Jr. offer the following:

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature passed Resolution No. 29 of 2022 appropriating $1,000,000.00 to fund Round 2 of the “Ulster County Cares Small Business Assistance Program,” also called “CARES II,” and authorized the County to execute a contract with the Ulster County Economic Development Alliance, Inc. (“UCEDA”) to implement the CARES II Program; and

WHEREAS, contract no. 2022-00000303 between Ulster County and the Ulster County Economic Development Alliance, Inc. expressly described the Ulster County Cares Small Business Assistance Program as funding assistance provided to Low-to-Moderate (LMI) income business owners; and

WHEREAS, it was the Ulster County Legislature’s intent only to fund qualifying Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) businesses in the CARES II Program and the program was not intended to fund non-profit organizations; and

WHEREAS, review of the applicants awarded funding under the program guidelines revealed that twenty-one (21) businesses met the program definition of a LMI business and nineteen (19) businesses, including two (2) non-profit businesses, did not meet the LMI program definition; and 

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature passed Resolution No. 436 of 2023 to amend contract no. 2022-00000303 to reduce the value of the contract to $580,921.00 to cover the awards granted to qualifying LMI businesses; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature passed Resolution No. 437 of 2023 to authorize the execution of contract no. 2022-00000695 for the administration of a Small Business assistance program to honor the awards made to businesses which do not qualify as LMI businesses in the amount of $395,611.00; and

WHEREAS, awards in the amount of $1,543,865.00 have been made under the ARPA Parks Program, leaving an unassigned and unobligated balance of $456,135.00 remaining in the ARPA Parks Program; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature recognizes that the small business community continues to experience the adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the County shall honor the Ulster County Legislature’s initial intent in its entirety, to administer the Ulster County Cares Small Business Assistance Program to LMI businesses in the amount of $1,000,000.00; and, be it further 

RESOLVED, that the 2023 Ulster County Budget is hereby amended as follows:

INCREASE                               AMOUNT            

AA.1310.1081-3400.4095            Federal Aid - ARPA                    $419,079.00

(Rev.#)

AA.1310.1081-4300.4505            Prof. Services - Other                  $419,079.00

(App.#)                                       ARP Small Busn & Econ Recovery

and, be it further

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

DECREASE                              AMOUNT            

HH.7197.0635.4300.4505            Fees for Professional Services          $419,079.00

(App.#)                                       ARPA Parks Program

HH.8097.0604.3400.4097            Federal Aid, ARPA                     $419,079.00

(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: Ways and Means on __________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$0.00 – INCREASE TO FEDERAL ARPA REVENUES

$0.00 – INCREASE TO APPROPRIATIONS