Kingston, NY- The Ulster County Legislature will be holding their Tuesday, October 20th Legislative Session virtually.
“Holding public meetings during this pandemic definitely created some unique challenges,” remarked Chairman David B. Donaldson (D-Kingston.) “Tomorrow will mark the 7th month that we have held Sessions virtually. I am proud of how well and how quickly my collogues and staff adapted to ensure we maintained vital county services and safety standards while keeping the public informed.”
Chairman Donaldson noted that, unlike counties elsewhere in the state, the Ulster County Legislature and its Standing Committees have not missed any meetings during the pandemic. Each of these meetings has also consistently provided the public with an opportunity to see, hear, and provide input on matters before them.
From the moment the state started issuing in-person meeting restrictions, Donaldson insisted that providing opportunities for public to virtually “attend” meetings and provide comment was a priority for him.
This month a much-anticipated Resolution regarding a PILOT agreement between the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency and Kingstonian Development, LLC in connection with The Kingstonian Development, LLC Project will appear on the Legislature’s meeting Agenda. It is important to note that, pending discussion and action in the Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee just prior to Legislative Session, the matter may or may not move to the floor for consideration by the full Legislature on Tuesday. Regardless of the action in the Ways & Means Committee the item will remain on the agenda and public comment is welcome. The Legislature is expecting a high volume of individuals wishing to make their opinion known on this subject.
Individuals wishing to be heard during the Public Comment portion of Legislative Session on Tuesday, October 20th may do so by dialing 205-ULSTER-0, or (205) 857-8370. To help with the anticipated volume, staff will open the lines up at 6:45 PM to begin screening callers (calls are screened to get the speaker’s name and the topic they wish to speak about.) Callers are placed in a queue where they can listen to the meeting until their name is called. Callers may experience long wait times.
Each speaker will be given up to two minutes. Callers will be muted once their time is up. Please note that comments are restricted to items on the meeting agenda, which can be found on the Legislature’s website prior to the meeting: https://legislature.ulstercountyny.gov/
Members of the pubic are also encouraged to watch the Legislative Session live online via vimeo livestream https://livestream.com/accounts/1512750/events/1824203. The October 20th broadcast begins at 7:00 PM or shortly afterward.
Comments may be submitted in writing at any time to the Clerk of the Legislature via email at vfab[at]co.ulster.ny[dot]us or by mail to: Clerk of the Legislature, Ulster County Office Building, PO Box 1800, Kingston, NY 12402
“Ulster County has a proud history of including public comment at our Sessions. It was important to all of us to find a way to include public comment in virtual meetings in the most efficient and fair manner possible,” Donaldson explained. “Most have been understanding and patient as we worked through this challenging transition; and for that we are grateful.”
***
