Referred to: The Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee (Chairman Uchitelle and Legislators Hansut, Heppner, Hewitt, and Lopez), The Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation Committee (Chairwoman Petit and Legislators Fabiano, Litts, Nolan, and Stewart), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Cahill, Fabiano, Ronk, and Walter)

Chairman of the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee, Abe Uchitelle, and Deputy Chair Gina Hansut offer the following:

WHEREAS,thisresolutionhasbeensubmittedattherequestoftheCountyExecutiveonbehalfoftheDepartmentofPublicWorks;and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 444 of October 2021, Capital Project 607 was established for the development of a Government Operations Center to include the County’s E-911 (“PSAP”) and Emergency Operations Center, as well has act as a daily Government Operations Center; and funding was provided for design and professional engineering services; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County, utilizing the services of its design and engineering consultants, has analyzed the need to upgrade its existing PSAP and combine critical functions of Emergency Operations with other problem solving elements of County Government to create a multi-use Government Operations Center (“GOC”); and

WHEREAS, the design team has conducted a site selection process for the Government Operation Center with a general search area that includes properties located in the area of the County extending from NYS Route 299 in the South to NYS Route 209/199 in the North and from NYS Route 9W in the East and US Route 209 in the West; and

WHEREAS, the design team identified no fewer than ten (10) alternative locations and conducted an extensive analysis on each using an industry practice site selection matrix, and including the development of site layout plans at the concept level, and planning level cost analysis to determine site suitability for the facility now and into the future; and

WHEREAS, such analysis has resulted in lands abutting Route 299 and Paradies Lane in New Paltz (Tax Map Parcels 86.12-5-12.320 and 86.12-5-310) consisting of approximately 57.3 acres (Paradies Lane Site) as having superior characteristics as compared to other sites analyzed; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County has conducted an appraisal of the Paradies Lane Site that determined that its value was four million three hundred ($4,300,000.00) with the understanding (“hypothetical condition”) that this value is based on the site being free of environmental restrictions; and

WHEREAS, the site has undergone an extensive level of testing to characterize the environmental issues on the site and is proceeding toward inclusion in the New York State Brownfield Program that offers tax incentives for site clean-up and liability protection for owners; and

WHEREAS, the amount of environmental information available on the site has allowed the County’s Consultants to estimate the costs associated with environmental remediation of the site at between $800,000.00 to $1,000,000.00 with costs associated with lands to be utilized for the Government Operation Center at approximately $100,000.00; and

WHEREAS, the owner of the site has agreed to a purchase price of $3,500,000.00 that reflects the conditions on the value established in the appraisal; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County desires to proceed with the required steps necessary to acquire the Paradies Lane site to develop a Government Operations Center to be sited on approximately six (6) acres of the 57.3 acre sites while reserving the remainder of the site for potential future development by the private sector or in partnership with the County as well as solar development all while preserving existing wetlands on the site; now, therefore be

RESOLVED,thattheUlsterCountyLegislaturehasdetermined,afterreviewofthecriteriacontainedin6NYCRRParts617.4and617.5, [SEQRA]thattheProjectisanUnlistedAction;and,beitfurther

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature has determined that acquisition of the lands located at Paradies Lane in the Town of New Paltz, Ulster County does not require any physical alteration of lands, and can be considered separate and apart from any future actions, and will neither impair nor reduce the effectiveness of subsequent environmental review, and as such, a segmented environmental review under NYCRRPart617 [SEQRA],is warranted and will be no less protective of the environment, and such action does not have a significant environmental impact; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that Capital Project No. 607 for the Government Operations Center is hereby amended as follows: 

                                                  INCREASE                                       AMOUNT 

Capital Project No. 607                Government Operations Center          $3,750,000.00 

and, be it further, 

          RESOLVED, that the 2022 Ulster County Capital Fund budget is hereby amended and funded as follows: 

INCREASE                               AMOUNT

HH-1997-0607-2300-2555            Acquisition                                 $3,500,000.00

(App.#)

HH-1997-0607-4300-4355           Engineering Services                   $   250,000.00

(App.#)

HH-1997-0607-3500-5710           Serial Bonds                                                                       $3,750,000.00

(Rev.#)

and, be it further

RESOLVED,thattheChairoftheUlsterCountyLegislatureisherebyauthorizedtoexecuteanagreement,anyamendmentsthereto,andsuchotherdocumentsasmaybenecessarytoestablishthetermsandconditionspursuanttowhichtheCountyof Ulstershallpurchaseandtaketitle lands along Paradies Lane in the Town of New Paltz, Ulster County  identified as Tax Map Parcels 86.12-5-12.320 and 86.12-5-310 consisting of approximately 57.3 acres intheformasfiledwiththeClerkoftheUlsterCountyLegislature,orasmodifiedwiththeapprovaloftheUlsterCountyAttorney,       

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:           

Passed Committee: Law Enforcement and Public Safety on ________________.

Passed Committee: Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation on ________________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on ________________

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$3,750,000.00–COUNTYCAPITALFUNDAPPROPRIATIONS

$3,750,000.00– COUNTY REVENUE – SERIAL BONDS

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