Referred to: The Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee (Chairwoman Hansut and Legislators Hewitt, Maloney, McCollough and Walls), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Collins, Hansut, Kovacs, Nolan, and Roberts)

Chairwoman of the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee, Gina Hansut, and Deputy Chair Chris Hewitt offer the following:

WHEREAS, this resolution has been submitted at the request of the Ulster County District Attorney; and

WHEREAS, Governor Kathy Hochul secured an additional $40 million in the State Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Budget to assist in county prosecution efforts across the 62 Counties of New York State; and

WHEREAS,theUlsterCountyDistrictAttorneyhasbeenawarded $569,197.00 in Aid to Prosecution (ATP) funding pursuant to letter dated August 24, 2023 issued by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which wasdisbursed to the County in one payment in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023 and is currently earmarked for use by the Ulster County District Attorney in a 2024 deferred revenue account; and

WHEREAS, the Office of the Ulster County District Attorney did not utilize any of the ATP funding within the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023; and

WHEREAS, the Office of the Ulster County District Attorney has received confirmation that the Aid to Prosecution original funding deadline of March 31, 2024 for appropriations is no longer applicable; and

WHEREAS, upon making such awards, the State intends that the county subsequently and promptly make this funding available to the district attorney’s office for use in recruitment, retention, and other prosecutorial services; and

WHEREAS, the Governor’s Office and DCJS have made it clear that the grant funding is intended to be used for raises, stipends, and community programming, and support for any expenses with the intent to aid District Attorney’s Offices in ongoing efforts to recruit and retain personnel and efficiently comply with the increased workloads resulting from the 2020 discovery requirements and other changes to our laws for the furtherance of public safety; and

WHEREAS, that the Ulster County Legislature recognizes that increased workloads have resulted from discovery law reform, and intends to appropriate ATP grant monies to be distributed for the purposes of covering additional costs related to alternative work schedules to address increased workloads; and

WHEREAS, the District Attorney has agreed to utilize available tools such as TimeForce software to help quantify departmental hours worked in an effort to develop a sustainable staffing structure; now, be it further;

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature hereby authorizes payment of ATP grant monies to the District Attorney’s Office to use for such purposes as intended by the state grant, including compensation, recruitment and retention stipends, and alternate work schedule.; and

RESOLVED, that alternate work schedule and stipend pay will be used for employees currently in the following titles in the Office whose scope of work has exponentially increased as a result of changes to the Criminal Penal and Procedure Law over the past several years: Assistant District Attorney, Director of Projects, Discovery and Records Unit Chief, District Attorney Chief Investigator, District Attorney Investigator, Junior Accountant, Legal Secretary, Paralegal, Records and Operations Manager, Receptionist/Typist, Video Tech, Administrative Aide/Typist and Stenographer; and, be it further  

RESOLVED, that the payment of stipends to staff requires the additional payment by Ulster County of anticipated associated Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) payments and Retirement benefits totaling $104,325; and

RESOLVED, that $2,005.00 will be used for expenses related to Summer 2024 Internship Stipends for College and Law School students who are residents of Ulster County; and, be it further            

RESOLVED,thatthe2024UlsterCountyBudgetisherebyamendedasfollows:

                                                            INCREASE                        AMOUNT

AA.1165.1031.1300.1300                 Regular Pay                        $371,379.59

(App. #)                                                                                             $300,937.00

AA.1165.1031-1420.1460                Stipend Pay                          $42,000.00

(App. #)                                                                                            $ 73,815.00

AA.1165.1031-1410.1410                Over Time Pay                  $ 21,890.00

(App. #)                                                      

AA.1165.1031-1420.1460                 Part Time Pay                     $8,785.37

(App. #)                                                                                            $  2,005.00                                                                    

AA.1165.1031-8000.8000                  Retirement                          $65,273.16

(App. #)                                                                                          $ 71,519.00

AA.1165.1031-8010.8010                  FICA                                  $30,711.28

(App.#)                                                                                               $30,497.00

AA.1165.1032.1300.1300                   Regular Pay                        $43,001.26

(App. #)                                                                                              $51,007.00

AA.1165.1032-1420.1460                 Stipend Pay                         $ 12,657.00

(App. #)

AA.1165.1032-8010.8010                  FICA                                  $ 3,289.60

(App.#)                                                                                               $  4,870.00

AA.9900.9900 - 3700.9900                Appropriated Deferred       $569,197.00 

(Rev. #)                                                 Revenue  Balance

AA.1165.1031-3900.9989                   Approp. Reserves -           $569,197.00

(Rev. #)                                                   District Attorney – State Aid

and, be it further

RESOLVED, that $2,005.00 of the ATP grand funding will be used for expenses related to Summer 2024 Internship Stipends for College and Law School students who are residents of Ulster County,

and moves its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                        NOES:      

Passed Committee: Law Enforcement and Public Safety on ________________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on ________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$569,197.00 – ADDITIONAL 2024 APPROPRIATION DOLLARS

(RECEIVED 2023 STATE REVENUE DOLLARS - DEPOSITED TO FUND BALANCE)

$569,197.00 – APPROPRIATED RESTRICTED FUND BALANCE

 (RECEIVED 2023 STATE REVENUE DOLLARS)