[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5979889,"mediaKeyId","5805941-33364c882d45ecd364b3719bead9b6e0","parentId",5805941,"title","County to match $225,000 for Village of Woodbury conservation easement, approves SEQRA type II finding","audioSeconds",353,"startMs",2965000,"endMs",3318000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5805941-33364c882d45ecd364b3719bead9b6e0&start=2965&end=3318","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5805941-33364c882d45ecd364b3719bead9b6e0/thumbnail_2965000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5979889/Orange-County/New-York/County-to-match-225000-for-Village-of-Woodbury-conservation-easement-approves-SEQRA-type-II-finding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5979889-c83e218f532cd2288d1e78bd704acc87/orig.mp4?Expires=1770505856&Signature=RY9Bk92g7zd82RrT-kjXC9XQ~bOhq-eY7tSFKrH25hVjbGgAE9snsAbbzSX8W2LbNkK8o32llN4snkKyRcC8NDL--52cwpDr0RYlFPadVWV4nukFKxqkOThpqNNJDbowZrVuj5Hc6xS6wYhgR9fvf~fKQgB1QA0NapfDK7A2E3YciiSbb460EE52rAlI8lNg35klXlIEEBhJNQIPBTJNJKuiuHg6M6UZWoDlmiMjY70jEnKoGf4FZV773oIHWsFOQ4OeAsuj5aPGPTr3OUG1LfqB8Xy9A9UAuMWA7eGNdoo~2uTVgMEbZdsWe9g5511ePVpnIeZnnhsDpFLIL1eOag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Orange County New York","date","2025-09-18T00:00:00Z","article","The Rules and Agreements and Intergovernmental Relations Committee authorized the County Executive to execute a funding agreement and to accept and record a conservation easement conveyed by the Village of Woodbury for two parcels on Smith Cove Road totaling 25.6 acres. The action implements an Open Space Fund award in which Orange County will provide $225,000 as a match to a $450,000 acquisition by the Village of Woodbury.

Alan Cernson, identified in the meeting as Commissioner of Planning (deputy commissioner noted in the agenda), told the committee that planning and county attorney staff prepared draft documents to accept and record the conservation easement for the parcels described on the Hampton tax map as section 218, lots 2, 49 and 53. He said the documents were drafted following a May resolution that authorized staff to develop the necessary documentation for the county’s acceptance and recording of the easement.

Committee members moved and approved an amendment to the resolution to include a SEQRA determination that the acceptance of the conservation easement is a Type II action under SEQRA regulations. The county attorney referenced the relevant regulation as section 617.5(c)(39) (state SEQRA regulation) when explaining that a Type II determination does not require further SEQRA steps. Following the amendment, the committee voted to approve the main resolution authorizing the County Executive to sign the funding agreement and accept and record the conservation easement (Legislative Request No. 289).

The transcript records that the documents are drafted and that county planning and attorney staff will proceed with final execution following the legislature’s authorization. Committee members asked whether the drafts remained confidential; staff said the documents are not yet signed and thus confidentiality questions remained open until execution. The item passed after the committee voted to amend the resolution to include the SEQRA Type II finding and then voted on the amended resolution; the transcript records the motions carried by voice vote.

Implementation steps include executing the funding agreement, recording the conservation easement with the county clerk, and finalizing the Open Space Fund disbursement to the Village of Woodbury. The committee’s action was recorded under Legislative Request No. 289.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Orange County Rules Committee 9/17/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee authorized the County Executive to sign a funding agreement and accept a conservation easement over 25.6 acres in the Village of Woodbury, with the county contributing $225,000 from the Open Space Fund as a match to the $450,000 acquisition.","taxTitle","Orange County, New York","taxId",14532,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5979901,"County authorizes two chief assistant county attorney positions for municipal and juvenile work",1929,3175000,1246000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5805941-33364c882d45ecd364b3719bead9b6e0&start=3175&end=1246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5805941-33364c882d45ecd364b3719bead9b6e0/thumbnail_3175000.jpg","/articles/5979901/Orange-County/New-York/County-authorizes-two-chief-assistant-county-attorney-positions-for-municipal-and-juvenile-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5979901-a1a625ceeee1bdef47f1ffb9f7dd0fd3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770505856&Signature=hXBtJI-Qx~HdPdFlt6zMxQl9rvocg4c40ORbSQzntX~ZBRr2wckdXRAfyWAYprn6v1J~xuenwd-e-hqkO04OjYdZlk8xHacEknGC0o2dO8kCqkavxoWfJDa4s9fZqf~Mn9VpyL8Nfr514tislVWqpvVK9vFqf9YbCBiHEkW2COTlKw60AxSGPWavUvXTYhCW7wzb-G67Zi-GeAI1QWpFrplA9INVo-OIInYwKvizFp2FU6JiC~jAEtaGMt4i2dLYJKnP1TjbZ5ZJDLa09OBgaZzjAoaOp~MssvhcPpVPWthIP0SFkhUAtrk8SnRBlVF3xKkQBtsDHY8X1jUd6ljqJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County Attorney Richard Golden asked the Rules and Agreements and Intergovernmental Relations Committee to create two new chief assistant county attorney positions — a chief assistant for local municipal matters and a chief assistant for juvenile justice — and the panel voted to approve the request. The committee also approved a related change to remove juvenile justice duties from the current chief assistant for family law and juvenile justice and reassign them to the new juvenile chief.

Golden told the committee the two positions are needed “because the need for more and more attention to a lot of local municipal interaction with the county has arisen over time,” and that county legal staff have limited experience handling those municipal-specific matters. He said the municipal chief would oversee interactions with towns and villages on planning, building and finance, and would help navigate local processes that are often not fully documented.

Golden also described the county attorney’s office as the prosecuting office for juvenile delinquency in the county and said those matters have increased sharply: “we have seen unprecedented rise in human arm weakness in matters over the last several years. They have doubled in the last several years.” He said one full-time attorney had been reassigned to juvenile delinquency work and that a chief is needed to oversee 24/7 obligations and to provide training and outreach to local law enforcement and schools.

Committee members asked about funding and timing. Golden said the 2025 law department budget contains savings and two currently funded but vacant positions that will cover the remainder of 2025; the department has included the two new positions in its 2026 budget proposal. Legislators pressed whether the request represented an emergency given the proximity to the budget process. Golden described the issues as “present problems” requiring immediate attention; another legislator said the positions could be funded when the new budget takes effect on Jan. 1 if the legislature deferred approval.

The committee approved the creation of the two positions and the amendment of the family law/juvenile justice job specification. The transcript does not record a roll-call vote or individual tallies in the meeting minutes; the chair called the question and the motion carried.

The approved items were filed as Legislative Request No. 244. Golden and multiple legislators discussed operational details, including that one of the new positions is envisioned as an internal promotion and that, if later budget decisions eliminated funding, existing positions could be reallocated or reduced as with any department budget change.

The committee’s action directs the legislature to include the positions in the county’s staffing and budget planning. Golden emphasized the need for the positions to address current juvenile caseloads and municipal legal work, and legislators indicated they would review funding in the 2026 budget cycle.

Less-critical implementation details — including precise start dates for hires, the grade and salary step specifics beyond “grade 27” listed in the request, and any changes to workload allocation across other attorneys — were discussed but not resolved at the meeting.

","County Attorney Richard Golden asked the Rules and Agreements and Intergovernmental Relations Committee to create two new chief assistant county attorney positions — for local municipal matters and juvenile justice — and the committee approved the request.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5979894,"Legislature moves to tax short-term rentals, create county registry under new state law",1186,1312000,2498000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5805941-33364c882d45ecd364b3719bead9b6e0&start=1312&end=2498","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5805941-33364c882d45ecd364b3719bead9b6e0/thumbnail_1312000.jpg","/articles/5979894/Orange-County/New-York/Legislature-moves-to-tax-short-term-rentals-create-county-registry-under-new-state-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5979894-1defa857a896a2158cf5ca3c67c0f220/orig.mp4?Expires=1770505856&Signature=aiBtwN2f6hxoYZuETifjeW0tJOXu5szJBRk8czJDm0IdstHV1q8HZrMHJPo7Lyk6CtDirokQboWvbRIDWKoih06mCN96I5ZTiSHkePXwqiCZt1drVJFlwK10yKxq6uLc2bnhloEQlmkkx0b38MFa55O1bwuFjUlf0LV-lgWwiufWOvZR8bc2mMCeH0hRqzVt9C2jV4NjRn4QYD-S1z8xcQswaWYNsjomjkbM2e6MpvNpzl~B0OyA9v8M4uuMuL~zjR6Uxc9mbFBHMLHd5xtYVUx2k0vtQx3ojm-50cE2QTTNMEvIEk2WgNQdg5L5tBzqK5EzpYq3DYBB~6-sxMuekw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Rules and Agreements and Intergovernmental Relations Committee voted to amend Orange County’s hotel and motel occupancy tax law to opt in and conform to recent state legislation that permits occupancy taxation of short-term rental units. The draft local law would add short-term rentals to the county’s existing hotel/motel occupancy tax and establish a county registry for such units.

County Attorney Richard Golden, who explained the draft local law, told legislators that counties are authorized to tax hotels and motels only to the extent the state grants that power and that the new state law automatically opts counties in for short-term rental taxation unless a county opts out before the state deadline. He said the local law before the committee would “amend Orange County hotel and motel occupancy tax, local law to opt in and conform to recent state legislation, allowing occupancy taxation of short term rental units.”

Golden said the state requires the county to use the same tax rate for short-term rentals as the county already applies to hotels and motels. The draft local law does not set any charge to register; the county attorney said he proposed a no-fee registry to mirror the county’s existing hotel/motel registry. He noted, however, that state law permits charging a reasonable fee to offset registry costs, and said the county will decide on that as a policy matter.

Golden described administrative steps and enforcement options. Orange County is preparing an RFP for a consultant to compile and maintain the registry and to scour online booking platforms to identify properties. He said booking platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com) or individual hosts would be required to register, and platforms would be prohibited from listing properties not registered with the county once the law is in effect. For unpaid occupancy taxes, Golden said the county could pursue enforcement actions that mirror hotel/motel tax enforcement, including turning unpaid taxes into a lien on the property recorded with the county clerk.

Legislators asked about definitions, coverage and municipal effects. On definitions, Golden said the county would adopt the state definition of short-term rental units (questions in the meeting suggested “under 30 days” as the practical threshold). He said local building and fire-safety enforcement remains the responsibility of towns and villages and that local zoning measures that prohibit short-term rentals remain enforceable. Several legislators and municipal officials told the committee that having a county registry would help local governments identify unpermitted short-term rentals so they could pursue zoning or code enforcement.

Committee members also asked about expected revenue. Golden said the county cannot yet estimate revenue because it does not know the total number of short-term rental units in the county; other counties that responded to a statewide survey showed mixed approaches to charging registry fees. A committee member noted that an informal arrangement currently exists with Airbnb under which platforms have sent voluntary payments to the county; Golden said those voluntary payments are neither comprehensive nor guaranteed, and the new law will impose mandatory tax collection once the law is active.

The committee approved the draft local law (Legislative Request No. 285) to opt in and to create the registry; the transcript records the motion carried after a voice vote. The county plans to issue an RFP for a consultant in October and anticipated that registry work could be underway in October with fuller effect by early December, subject to procurement timing and implementation steps.

","The committee approved a local law to opt into state legislation allowing counties to tax short-term rentals and to create a county registry. County Attorney Richard Golden said the registry will help municipalities identify short-term rental units and that the county is preparing an RFP for a consultant to build and maintain the registry.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County to match $225,000 for Village of Woodbury conservation easement, approves SEQRA type II finding

County authorizes two chief assistant county attorney positions for municipal and juvenile work

Legislature moves to tax short-term rentals, create county registry under new state law