Referred to: The Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee (Chairman Hewitt and Legislators Donaldson, Greene, Litts, Nolan, Stewart, and Walls), The Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation Committee (Chair Nolan and Legislators Donaldson, Kovacs, Litts, and McCollough), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Collins, Hansut, Kovacs, Nolan, and Roberts)

Chairman of the Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee, Chris Hewitt, and Deputy Chair Richard Walls offer the following:

WHEREAS, this Resolution has been submitted at the request of the County Executive on behalf of the Ulster County Department of Public Transportation; and

WHEREAS, Capital Project No. 568 was established pursuant to Resolution No. 111 of 2020 in the amount of $256,606.00 for the implementation of electric bus charging infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, Capital Project No. 568 was amended pursuant to Resolution No. 227 of 2021 in the amount of $501,623.00 for the implementation of electric bus charging infrastructure bringing the total project cost to $758,229.00; and

WHEREAS, Capital Project No. 568 was amended pursuant to Resolution No. 113 of 2023 in the amount of $697,000.00 for the implementation of UCAT Phase 2.2 electric bus charging infrastructure, bringing the total project cost for UCAT Phase 1 and 2.2 combined to $1,455,229.00; and

WHEREAS, Public Authorities Law §1005(17) permits the Power Authority of New York (NYPA) to finance and design, develop, construct, implement, provide and administer energy-related projects, programs and services for any public entity; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 72 of 2019, the County has executed a Master Cost Recovery Agreement with NYPA for implementation of such energy-related projects, programs and services as authorized by the Public Authorities Law; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature authorized the Chair of the Legislature to enter into an Intermunicipal Agreement with NYPA pursuant to Resolution No. 307 of 2023 for the implementation of UCAT Phase 2.2 electric bus charging infrastructure at the transit facility, with a contracted not-to-exceed amount of $697,000.00 subsequently executed; and

WHEREAS, upon execution of the concurrently proposed Customer Project Commitment (CPC) with NYPA for a rooftop solar installation and electric bus charging infrastructure upgrades to the transit facility (“UCAT Phase 2”), NYPA will commence construction of the Phase 2.2 electric bus charging infrastructure at the transit facility; and

WHEREAS, in 2021, the County completed a NYSERDA-funded Transit Electrification Study which identified the best courses of action to fully electrify the UCAT fleet and informed the County’s charging infrastructure needs; and

WHEREAS, Phase 1 of Capital Project No. 568 for electric bus charging infrastructure included the installation of an electrical system at the UCAT facility that (1) has capacity for the future installation of additional electric vehicle charging equipment, (2) is configured to be solar-ready for the interconnection of a rooftop solar PV system and (3) allows connection of a generator to supply automatic backup power to both the building and the bus charging equipment; and

WHEREAS, Phase 2.2 of the upgrades to the transit facility will include the installation of a 4th (fourth) ABB power cabinet and (9) nine ABB overhead ceiling mounted dispensers for electric bus and fleet vehicle charging and the installation of a 400kW standby backup generator; and

WHEREAS, the County has executed a purchase order to Gillig for (2) BEB Battery Electric buses with an expected delivery date of 4th (fourth) quarter of 2024 with a current UCAT fleet of (3) three New Flyer of America BEB’s and (3) Ford E- Transit fully electric vans; and

WHEREAS, Capital Project No. 568 supports alignment of UCAT’s operations and infrastructure with Ulster County’s Local Law No. 9 of 2015 Establishing a Sustainable Green Fleet Policy, and subsequent amendments, and the New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s (CLCPA’s) Final Scoping Plan Strategy T5: Fleet Modernization and Electrification; and

WHEREAS, the Department of the Environment requests that Capital Project No. 568 be funded for additional project costs in the amount of $769,557.00, for a maximum net project cost of $2,224,786.00, and a project cost of UCAT phase 1 & 2 of $1,466,557.00 which includes a 10% contingency; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, based upon examination by the Ulster County Legislature, the County’s funding of this Project constitutes a Type II action as defined under Sections 2.1 of the County of Ulster’s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) Type II List, which was adopted pursuant to Resolution No. 118 dated April 20, 2010; and, be it further

RESOLVED, Ulster County has determined that this funding action does not pose a significant potential environmental impact and may be progressed as a Type II action in accordance with 6 NYCRR Part 617 of SEQRA, and does not require any further determination or procedure under SEQRA; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that Capital Project No. 568 for UCAT Charging Infrastructure be amended as follows:

INCREASE                                    AMOUNT

Capital Project No. 568                  Charging Infrastructure                   $769,557.00 

and, be it further

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

INCREASE                                    AMOUNT

HH.5997.0568-2300.2550              Construction                                   $769,557.00

(App. #)

HH.5997.0568-3500.5710             Serial Bonds                                    $769,557.00

 (Rev. #),

and moves 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:

$769,557.00  –COUNTYCAPITALFUNDAPPROPRIATIONS

$769,557.00  –COUNTYREVENUE–SERIALBONDS

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