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Votes at a glance: Ulster County Legislature approves housing and social‑service measures, sets public hearings
Summary
At its meeting the Ulster County Legislature approved a suite of resolutions on housing and social services (Resolutions 136–144). Several contract amendments and program authorizations passed by voice vote; one proposed local law was postponed to allow further drafting and enforcement discussion.
The Ulster County Legislature on April 3, 2025 considered and voted on Resolutions 136 through 144, covering property transfer for housing development, ADU financing, shelter and social‑service contracts, a transit safety policy, and a proposed local law on safe passing distances for vulnerable road users. Most resolutions passed by voice vote; sponsors and staff provided brief explanations on funding, program purpose and next steps.
Key outcomes (voice votes unless noted):
- Resolution 136: Set a public hearing on the sale/transfer of county-owned property at 21 Elizabeth Street, Kingston, to the Ulster County Housing Development Corporation. Outcome: approved. (See separate article for details.)
- Resolution 137: Authorize use of Housing Action Fund dollars to establish an ADU revolving loan fund and solicit RFPs for administration and lending partners. Outcome: approved.
- Resolution 138: Approve execution of a county contract for $216,464 with Catholic Charities of Orange & Sullivan County, Department of Social Services, to support the SAFE program (shelter arrears and eviction prevention). Outcome: approved. Staff said the allocation is limited and the program historically assisted about 10 families in prior rounds.
- Resolution 139: Approve a contract amendment with Family of Woodstock to reimburse emergency after‑hours shelter placements for calendar year 2024; amendment amount described in the transcript as approximately $175,000 to cover invoices received for services in 2024. Outcome: approved. Legislators asked why invoices arrived late and whether contract language should be changed to require vendor notice when limits are exceeded; staff said billing timelines and 60–90 day invoice lags contributed and contract language is under review.
- Resolution 140: Approve a contract amendment (amount described as $30,000, bringing aggregate contract above $50,000) with Family of Woodstock to cover a per‑diem rate increase mandated by state action for domestic violence shelter beds. Outcome: approved. Legislators discussed arranging a protected, limited tour of the Washburn House shelter for committee members, noting confidentiality and resident safety concerns.
- Resolution 141: Authorize filing of applications for Federal Transit Administration assistance and an opinion of counsel. Staff said formula funds (Section 5307/FTA) provided a little over $2 million in 2024; 2025 apportionments were not finalized. Outcome: approved.
- Resolution 142: Establish a policy requiring naloxone (described in discussion as a "lock zones" device) on 20 transit vehicles for emergency use and formalize training. Sam Carroll (Sheriff's office) and transit staff were cited as training providers; staff said the tool has been used and medical response (911) is called first. Outcome: approved.
- Resolution 143: Set a public hearing on proposed Local Law No. 3 of 2025 requiring drivers to provide at least three feet of clearance when passing vulnerable road users (bicyclists, people using mobility devices, pedestrians). Several legislators expressed concern about enforcement mechanisms, applicability to state roads and potential for subjective enforcement; the motion to postpone was approved to allow additional drafting before public hearing. Outcome: postponed to allow recirculation and refinement.
- Resolution 144: Approve execution of a contract for $80,007 (as reported in the transcript) with the Resource Center for Accessible Living (RCAL) to continue accessibility modifications for older or disabled residents. Outcome: approved.
Several resolutions involved contract amendments to cover expenditures incurred in 2024 that arrived after the fiscal year closed; legislators pressed staff on why invoices arrived late and asked staff to consider contract language requiring earlier vendor notice if limits will be exceeded.
How votes were recorded: Most approvals were recorded as voice votes in the meeting transcript. The record provided shows motions, seconds and committee voice responses of "Aye," but individual roll-call tallies were not recorded in the excerpts provided.
What to watch next: Staff follow-up items include public hearings (Resolution 136), issuance of RFPs and return to the Legislature with contract awards (Resolution 137), contract-language revisions to improve vendor notification and expenditure oversight (Family of Woodstock contracts), and further refinement of the proposed local law on safe passing distances prior to public hearing.
