Referred to: The American Rescue Plan Act Special Committee (Chairman Corcoran and Legislators Clinton, Levine, Lopez, and Sperry), The Health, Human Services and Housing Committee (Chairman Uchitelle and Legislators Collins, Corcoran, Harmon, Kitchen, Lopez, and McCollough), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Collins, Hansut, Kovacs, Nolan, and Roberts)

Legislators Joe Maloney and Craig Lopez offer the following:

          WHEREAS, Senate Bill 8005 and Assembly Bill A8554, signed into law on January 26, 2024, requires camps and youth sports programs to make available at least one automated external defibrillator; and

          WHEREAS, S8005/A8554 moreover requires that camps and youth sports programs use best efforts to ensure that there is at least one employee, volunteer, coach, umpire, or other qualified adult who is present at each such camp, game, and practice who has successfully completed a training course within the preceding twenty-four (24) months of each such camp session, game and practice; and

WHEREAS, no funding source accompanies this State mandate; and

WHEREAS, the purpose of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding is to facilitate the recovery of programs and services related to public health and economic impact; and

WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted children with preexisting health conditions and in many cases halted group participation in youth camps, sports, and games; and

WHEREAS, youth camps, sports, and games have positive physical and mental effects on children, as well as a positive economic impact; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature acknowledges that an unfunded State mandate on these programs may cause the price of camps, sports, and games to rise and wishes to mitigate this as the County continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of recent inflationary pressures; and

WHEREAS, a portion of funding for this program will come from a reallocation of funding from Resolution No. 96 of 2022; and

WHEREAS, Resolution No. 96 of 2022 established the ARPA Water & Sewer Matching Program in the amount of $5,000,000.00; and

          WHEREAS, fourteen (14) municipalities have successfully been awarded and contracted for Water and Sewer Infrastructure projects through the ARPA Water & Sewer Matching Program; and

          WHEREAS, the ARPA Water & Sewer Program is considered complete and has remaining budget of $20,560.00 which must be reassigned to another purpose; and

WHEREAS, the purpose of the ARPA Water & Sewer Program was to enhance the health of Ulster County residents through access to clean drinking water and safe, sanitary sewer systems; and

WHEREAS, it is an appropriate reallocation of funds pertaining to health to provide children with access to life-saving emergency equipment and properly trained personnel in cardiac emergency situations; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature acknowledges the importance of Cardiac Emergency Implementation Plans including an equipment checklist and protocols for emergency incidents; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature wishes to support and provide aid for the implementation of this State mandate which may help to save the lives of children who participate in camps, sports, and games; and

WHEREAS, ARPA funding is required to be obligated by December 31, 2024 and the new establishment of a program may be susceptible to not meeting this deadline; 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 herein by providing Two Hundred Fifty Thousand ($250,000.00) 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 Hundred Fifty Thousand ($250,000.00) Dollars of funding to ensure this program continues and is fully executed and expended; and

WHEREAS, the County shall utilize appropriated fund balancethat has been offset by ARPA funding to replenish funding for the Ulster County Camps and Youth Sports AED Equipment Program (the Program) at in the amount of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand ($250,000.00) Dollars; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the AED Equipment at Ulster County Camps and Youth Sports Programs is hereby established; and, be it further

RESOLVES, that the Ulster County Camps and Youth Sports AED Equipment Program will provide funding to Organizations within Ulster County which run youth camps, sports, and games to reimburse for qualified training and/or equipment with a maximum reimbursement of $5,000.00 per Organization upon the submission of a Cardiac Emergency Implementation Plan; and, be it further

RESOLVED, in order to implement the Ulster County Camps and Youth Sports AED Equipment Program, funding in the amount of $250,000.00 in ARPA funds is hereby allocated to support the Program; and, be it further

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

                                                  INCREASE                               AMOUNT

AA.1310.1090-4600.4660           Misc. Contractual - Other             $250,000.00

(App. #)

AA.1310.1090-3400.4095          Federal Aid, ARPA                     $250,000.00  

(Rev.#),                                                                                        

and, be it further

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

                                                  DECREASE                              AMOUNT

HH.8097.0604.4300.4505             Fees for Professional Services          $20,560.00  

(App. #)                                                                                                                                                   

HH.8097.0604.3400.4995            Federal Aid, ARPA                      $20,560.00

(Rev. #)                                                                                                                                                                       

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:     

Passed Committee: American Rescue Plan Act on ______________.

Passed Committee: Health, Human Services and Housing on __________ .

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on ________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$229,440.00 – 2024 COUNTY APPROPRIATIONS

$229,440.00 – 2024 FEDERAL REVENUE DOLLARS