Referred to: The Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee (Chairman Hewitt and Legislators Donaldson, Greene, Litts, Nolan, Stewart, and Walls), The American Rescue Plan Act Special Committee (Chairman Corcoran and Legislators Clinton, Levine, Lopez, and Sperry), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Collins, Hansut, Kovacs, Nolan, and Roberts)

Chairman of the ARPA Special Committee, Thomas Corcoran, Jr., and Deputy Chair Megan Sperry offer the following:

            WHEREAS, this resolution has been submitted at the request of the County Executive on behalf of the Department of Finance, Division of Recovery and Resilience; and

            WHEREAS, Resolution number 78 of April 18, 2023, established and funded the Capital Project, “ARP Solar and EV Charging Infrastructure,” in the amount of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand ($2,500,000.00) Dollars; and

            WHEREAS, Resolution number 378 of July 18, 2023, changed the number of the “ARP Solar and EV Charging Infrastructure” Program to Capital Project No. 674; and

WHEREAS, funding for Capital Project No. 674 was incorporated into the 2024-2029 Ulster County Capital Improvement Program; and

WHEREAS, the amount of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand ($2,500,000.00) Dollars in Capital Project No. 674 is not contracted for and susceptible to not meeting an ARPA deadline to ‘obligate’ these funds by December 31, 2024; and

WHEREAS, this funding must be returned to the federal government if not ‘obligated,’ according to Department of the Treasury regulations, by the end of year deadline; and

WHEREAS, the County has calculated and reported to the United States Department of the Treasury the amount of Fourteen Million Thirty-One Thousand Three Hundred and Fifty-Seven ($14,031,357.00) Dollars as Ulster County’s, Fiscal Year 2020, estimated revenue loss due to the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency (Lost Revenue); and

WHEREAS, the County is allowed, as an ARPA recipient, to utilize its Lost Revenue, as an ARPA expenditure category, on government services as part of the County’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, the County wishes to utilize the currently un-obligated funding of Capital Project No. 674 by providing Two Million Five Hundred Thousand ($2,500,000.00) Dollars of ARPA funding for County services that would otherwise be funded through appropriated fund balance; and

WHEREAS, the County wishes to simultaneously replenish Two Million Five Hundred Thousand ($2,500,000.00) Dollars of funding to Capital Project No. 674 to ensure this program continues and provides grant funding for Solar and EV Charging projects to Ulster County municipalities, and

WHEREAS, the County shall utilize serial bond authorization that has been offset by ARPA funding to replenish funding for Capital Project No. 674 and ensure the intended funding level of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand ($2,500,000.00) Dollars as provided in Resolution 78 of April 18, 2023, remains unchanged; now, therefor be it

RESOLVED, the 2024 Ulster County budgets are Capital Fund Budget is hereby amended as follows:

INCREASE                                       AMOUNT

HH.8097.0674-3520.5031             Interfund Transfers In                  $2,500,000.00

(Rev. #),                                             From the General Fund

DECREASE                                      AMOUNT

HH.8097.0674-3400.4095              Federal Aid, ARPA                          $2,500,000.00

(Rev. #),

and, be it further

            RESOLVED, that the 2024 Ulster County Budgets are Operating Budget is hereby further amended as follows:

INCREASE                                       AMOUNT

AA.1310.1079-3400.4095              Federal Aid, ARPA                          $2,500,000.00

(Rev. #)

AA.9901.4600-9000.9025              Interfund Transfers to Capital        $2,500,000.00

(App. #)                                             Projects Fund

HH.8097.0674-3900.9979              Appropriated Reserves                    $2,500,000.00

(Rev. #),

and moves its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                        NOES:      

Passed Committee: Energy, Environment and Sustainability on ________________.

Passed Committee: American Rescue Plan Act on ________________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on ________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE