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

Legislator Eric Stewart offers the following:

WHEREAS, the County Legislature has already approved a plan to construct a Government Operations Center on approximately 57.3 acres of land on Paradies Lane in New Paltz; and

WHEREAS, the County Legislature has already provided $3,000,000 in funding for the purchase of this parcel; and

WHEREAS, that $3,000,000 purchase price came in at roughly $61,000.00/acre—a cost far higher than that of other comparable properties currently and/or recently on the market in Ulster County, and thereby setting a concerning precedent for possible continued overspending on this project; and

WHEREAS, in previous years the County embarked on a similar project in the construction of a County Jail and Law Enforcement Complex on Golden Hill in Kington that infamously was marked by extreme cost overruns resulting in political scandal, embarrassment, and substantial economic hardship for the County and its taxpayers; and

WHEREAS, in a recent cost update submitted to the Ulster County Legislature in November of 2022, Phase 1, Site Selection cost came in at 70% over the estimated cost; Phase 2 Building Design Cost came in at approximately 28% above estimated costs; Environmental Work came in at 3 times the estimated cost; and the overall Total Cost came in roughly 50% above the estimate—all concerning developments and unfortunate precedents; and

WHEREAS, the estimate for this needed Government Operations Centers have already increased from an estimated $24 million to now $36 million; and

WHEREAS, many expenses still remain undetermined and undecided such as whether the site will require extending a municipal waterline to site or whether it a well and an elaborate filtration system will be required due to environmental toxins present on the site; and

WHEREAS the Legislature wishes to prevent another spending debacle as witnessed with the building of the Jail and Law Enforcement Complex; and be good stewards of our County’s finances; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, the Ulster County Legislature hereby places a mandatory spending cap on the total amount of County funds expended for all costs related to the proposed Government Operations Center, including Capital Project 607, at $XX,XXX,XXX.00,  

and moves 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:

$XX,XXX,XXX.00 – MAXIMUM CAPITAL AND OPERATING APPROPRIATIONS