Referred to: The Laws, Rules and Government Services Committee (Chairman Kovacs and Legislators Gavaris, Hansut, Harmon, Kitchen, Levine, and Uchitelle)

Deputy Minority Leader Craig Lopez offers the following:

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Ulster County Charter and Administrative Code the Legislature is the legislative, appropriating and policy-determining body of the county; and

WHEREAS, as a deliberative body, the Legislature utilizes a committee system to review, vet and study Resolutions and Local Laws before advancement for consideration by the full body; and

WHEREAS, Rules of Order are adopted governing the conduct and procedures of the Legislature; and

WHEREAS, Rule 5A requires that committee assignments be made by the Chair within 20 days after their election; and

WHEREAS, Rules 3.C.1(a), 5.D. and 10.A.1 make reference to the “Annual Legislative Calendar” which is required to be provided by the Chair of the Legislature “not later than twenty (20) days after their election” and which identifies the Regular meeting dates of the Legislature and Standing Committees; and

WHEREAS, the early assignment of committees and publication of the calendar allows members of the Legislature to make accommodations with their places of employment and families in order to attend meetings; and

WHEREAS, unplanned and last-minute changes to the calendar unfairly burden members, upend work and family schedules, and may force absences from meetings that members may have otherwise been able to attend; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the disruption for Legislators, members of the public also find it difficult to plan to attend meetings of interest when they are changed with little notice; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, thatRule 5. Standing and Special Committees of the Legislature and Calendaring of the Legislative Sessions, Section (D) Meetings of the Committees, isherebyamendedtoreadasfollows:

“D. Meetings of the Committees.

1. Committees shall have Regular Committee meetings throughout the year as specified in the Annual Legislative Calendar filed with the Clerk of the Legislature by the Chairperson of the Legislature not later than twenty (20) days after their election or appointment. In establishing such calendar, the Chairperson of the Legislature shall coordinate the dates of Regular Committee meetings with the Clerk of the Legislature to ensure that members of Committees are not scheduled to be at more than one Committee at a time or at more than one physical location in one night except upon the agreement of the affected Legislator(s). 

2. Committee Meetings shall be noticed to the Members of the Committee by the Clerk of the Legislature or their designee at least 48 hours in advance by electronic, regular mail or personal notice unless waived by such Member. The Chair with the consent of the Deputy Chair of the Committee may change the Regularly scheduled meeting date and the Clerk of the Legislature shall notify the Members and media of such change.

         a. In the event that the Chair of the Committee cannot attend a Regularly scheduled meeting, the Deputy Chair of the Committee shall serve in their place. No Regularly scheduled meeting may be rescheduled by the Chair of the Committee without the prior written consent of the Deputy Chair of the Committee.

         b. In the event that neither the Chair nor Deputy Chair of the Committee can attend a Regularly scheduled meeting, the Clerk of the Legislature will reschedule the meeting for a date where a quorum of the committee, including the Chair or Deputy Chair of the Committee, may attend. Any meeting rescheduled pursuant to these Rules must occur before the Regular monthly meeting of the Ways and Means Committee. The Clerk of the Legislature shall notify the Members and media of such change.

3. Nothing shall preclude the calling of properly noticed Special Committee meeting(s) by the Chair of the Committee to consider such matters as the Chair of such Committee shall deem appropriate which are not otherwise inconsistent with these Rules.”; and, be it further

            RESOLVED, that pursuant to Rule 2, entitled “AMENDMENT OF RULES,” of the Rules of Order of the Ulster County Legislature, this resolution and the amendment proposed herein shall be read at two consecutive meetings of the Ulster

County Legislature; and, be it further

            RESOLVED, that this rule change shall take effect upon an affirmative vote of this body subsequent to two consecutive readings,

and move its adoption.

FIRST READING:            

SECOND READING:

                                                               ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

        AYES:                       NOES:    

Passed Committee: Laws, Rules and Government Services on ________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE