Referred to: The Economic Development, Planning, Education, Employment, Arts and Agriculture Committee (Chairwoman Sperry and Legislators Clinton, Corcoran, Hewitt, Litts, Stewart and Walls), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Collins, Hansut, Kovacs, Nolan, and Roberts)

Chairwoman of the Economic Development, Planning, Education, Employment, Arts and Agriculture Committee, Megan Sperry, and Deputy Chair Herbert Litts, III offer the following:

WHEREAS, this resolution has been submitted at the request of the County Executive on behalf of the Planning Department; and

WHEREAS, New York State ConnectALL initiative will be the largest-ever investment in New York’s digital infrastructure with over $1 billion in new public and private investment in rural and urban areas of the State; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County has been diligent in providing data to both the ConnectALL Program and the Federal Energy Communication Commission to ensure and full and accurate understanding of the under-served and unserved areas within the County as well as ensuring that critical emergency management locations are eligible to receive adequate broadband service; and

WHEREAS, the ConnectALL Regional and Local Assistance Program (RLAP) offers the opportunity for the County to build local capacity and conduct planning efforts including support for its Digital Commission to implement ConnectALL Programs including the Affordable Housing Connectivity Program, the Municipal Infrastructure Program, the Digital Equity Program, and the ConnectALL Deployment and Rural Broadband Program, and

WHEREAS, RLAP funding will allow the County to become a more active partner in determining its broadband future with private sector by helping to meet a range of capacity challenges, including specialized technical knowledge, data acquisition and analysis,  the development of financial or engineering plans to support new broadband investment, and the grant application or other fund acquisition process to implement broadband improvements; and

WHEREAS, the Department has determined that an appropriate grant application includes the use of planning funds for the eligible uses in the program that include; preparation of feasibility studies, financial or engineering plans, training and professional development, software licenses, market surveys, environmental studies, technical designs, local or regional plans, research, evaluation, support for grant application or other fund acquisition processes, and other plans or reports necessary to support broadband deployment and digital equity; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Director of the Ulster County Planning Department, is hereby authorized to submit online applications to the New York State ConnectALL RLAP Program for Funding up to grant’s maximum award amount; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that a copy of all grant applications submitted shall be filed with the Clerk of the Legislature prior to or immediately upon submission to NYSEFC,              

and moves its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:             

Passed Committee: Economic Development, Planning, Education, Employment, Arts and Agriculture on ________________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on ________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

MAXIMIMUM GRANT AWARD AMOUNT $249,999.00