Faggione Opposes Albany money grab from Bridge Authority

February 18, 2020 - Goshen, NY - Orange County Legislator Thomas Faggione is supporting a resolution opposing the potential merger of the New York State Thurway Authority and the New York State Bridge Authority. This resolution, sponsored by Legislative Chairman Steve Bresica, is on the agenda Wednesday of the Orange County Legislative Committee on Rules, Enactments, and Intergovernmental Relations.

“The ruling political class in Albany is always on the lookout for your taxpayer money… not to protect it, but to use it as they sees fit. The thought of merging the Bridge Authority into the Thruway is another Albany money grab, plain and simple”, Faggione said.

Opposition to this merger has received bipartisan support from state leaders in our region.

The Rules Committee meets Wednesday, February 19th, 3:30pm in the Legislative Committee Room, 3rd Floor of the Government Center, 255 Main Street, Goshen, NY. This meeting is open to the public. The Rules committee chaired by Thomas Faggione and includes Michael Amo, John S. Vero, Barry J. Cheney, Katie Bonelli, Kevin W. Hines, James M. Kulisek, Michael D. Paduch. A complete agenda for the Rules Committee is as follows:

I. STEVEN M. NEUHAUS, COUNTY EXECUTIVE

Request confirmation of reappointments to the Orange County Board of Ethics (D. Clarino, R. Cooper) LR#037

II. LOUISE VANDEMARK, COMMISSIONER OF ELECTIONS DAVID C. GREEN, COMMISSIONER OF ELECTIONS

a. Request supplemental appropriation of $329,405.00 under proposed Capital Project No. 29 of 2020 for replacement of thirty-one (31) Dominion Imagecast voting machines. This represents year two of a five-year capital plan to replace the inventory of voting machines (bonding) (LR#027)

b. Request to accept salary schedule for Election Inspectors, Voting Machine Technicians, Voting Machine Operators, Poll Clerks for the Nursing Homes, Poll Clerks for Court Orders, Polling Place Information Clerks, Polling Place Interpreter, Post-Election Audit Clerks, Polling Place VRA Clerks, Inspector Training, Green Bag Pick-Up, Early Voting Inspectors and Per Diem Election Workers including, but not limited to those working in the warehouse, Delivery and Machine Pre-Lat (LR#028)

III. KARIN HABLOW, COMMISSIONER OF FINANCE LAURENCE LADUE, COMMISSONER, VALLEY VIEW DONNA STRECKER, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, VALLEY VIEW

Request to review and accept Fund Balance Policy for Valley View Center for Nursing Care and Rehabilitation (LR#009)

IV. DAVID CHURCH, AICP, COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING JULIE RICHMOND, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING

a. Request approval of a Local Law and enter into an Agreement with the Energy Improvement Corporation (aka Energize NY) to establish a new PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) finance program, called Open C-PACE. This replaces and improves upon our existing PACE program in that the County does not take on any responsibility for administering the program or for bill/collecting/remitting payments. Financing is offered by third party capital provides, who take on all underwriting and lien enforcement responsibilities (LR#003)

b. Request to accept and appropriate grant funds from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and authorize the County Executive to enter into any and all agreements or contracts necessary to secure and implement this grant. This is a Climate Smart Communities Project which will provide funding to assist the County in development of a Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climate Action Plan, $100,000.00 (LR#029)

c. Request legislative authorization to remove the grant stipulation for Planner position #17533. This position was created in 2015 with grant funds received for the Orange County Health Department through the New York State Department of Health Grant for the Healthy Orange Schools and communities Program for the period 10/1/15 through 9/30/20. This position will continue to work on the Complete Streets project for the MPO. Costs associated with this position as it relates to transportation related work, will be offset by federal transportation funding through Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) at a rate of 94.12% (LR#030)

d. Request to accept and appropriate NYSDOT Federal 5311 funds. The 5311 program provides formula funding to states for the purpose of supporting public transportation in areas with an urban population of less than 50,000. The current application is for Federal Fiscal Years 2019 and 2020. Funds would be used for the purchase of replacement dial-a-bus vehicles and for operating assistance payments to municipal transit operations. The total application amount is $981,765.00 ($647,000 for operating assistance payments: $323,500 FFY 2019, $323,500 FFY 2020; $334,765; 80% Federal, 10% State and 10% Local (provided by the municipal operators) for the purchase of five replacement dial-a-bus vehicles) (LR#041)

e. DISCUSSION: Shared Services Plan for 2020

V. ANTOINETTE REED, LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL DAVID CHURCH, AICP, COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING

a. ANNUAL REVIEW: INCLUSION OF LANDS INTO AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT NOS. 1 &2 Directing the Clerk of the Legislature to publish a Notice of Review of Orange County Agricultural Districts Nos. 1 and 2 (NO RESOLUTION REQUIRED)

b. 8-YEAR REVIEW: INCLUSION & EXCLUSION OF LANDS IN AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT NOS. 1 & 2 Resolution of the Orange County Legislature directing The Clerk of the Legislature to publish a Notice of Review of Orange County Agricultural Districts Nos. 1 (Towns Of Blooming Grove, Chester, Cornwall, Crawford, Goshen, Hamptonburgh, Monroe, Montgomery, Newburgh, New Windsor, Wallkill And Woodbury and the villages Of Chester, Maybrook, Montgomery And Washingtonville) and 2 (towns Of Blooming Grove, Chester, Deerpark, Goshen, Greenville, Minisink, Monroe, Mount Hope, Wallkill, Warwick And Wawayanda) of Orange County, New York and directing the Orange County Planning Board and Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board to file reports as to any proposed modifications to said districts

VI. L. STEPHEN BRESCIA, CHAIRMAN OF THE LEGISLATURE

a. Resolution of the Orange County Legislature establishing guidelines for the 2020 Legislature’s Grant Program for local municipalities

b. Resolution of the Orange County Legislature opposing New York State Assembly Bill A190 related to the possible merger of the New York State Bridge Authority into the Thruway Authority

VII. ROBERT CONFLITTI, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY Resolution of the Orange County Legislature supporting New York State Senate Bill S7280, the Emergency Responders Privacy Protection Act

The Orange County Legislative Committee on Rules, Enactments, and Intergovernmental Relations next meeting is Wednesday, February 19th, 3:30 pm, in the Orange County Government Center 255, Main Street, Goshen, NY. Meeting takes place in the legislative committee meeting room, 3rd floor. This meeting is open to the public.

The Rules committee chaired by Thomas Faggione and includes members Michael Amo, John S. Vero, Barry J. Cheney, Katie Bonelli, Kevin W. Hines, James M. Kulisek, Michael D. Paduch.