RESOLUTION NO. 391
AUTHORIZING THE DISBURSEMENT OF AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDING TO AND AN AGREEMENT WITH THE ADVANCE ALBANY COUNTY ALLIANCE IN CONNECTION WITH THE CENTRAL WAREHOUSE DEMOLITION PROJECT AND AMENDING THE 2024 ALBANY COUNTY BUDGET
Introduced: 6/10/24
By ARPA Executive Committee:
WHEREAS, The County of Albany received $29.6 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) which may be used for various projects and programs within the County to help mitigate the long-term effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and
WHEREAS, The Albany County Legislature created the ARPA Executive Committee and its various Subcommittees to determine how these funds should be distributed and to review applications for these monies, and
WHEREAS, The ARPA Executive Committee and its various Subcommittees have worked tirelessly over the last year in order to establish guidelines that will assist them in reviewing and evaluating the numerous applications they will receive, and
WHEREAS, By Resolution No. 672 for 2023, this Honorable Body previously designated $404,382 in ARPA funding to be used for the creation of a Broadband Coordinator position, which position is now being handled using existing County resources, and therefore such allocation is no longer needed, and
WHEREAS, The expected cost of abatement and demolition at the Central Warehouse property is approximately $13 million, and
WHEREAS, Albany County has applied for RestoreNY grant funding from New York State in the amount of $10 million in connection with the Central Warehouse Demolition Project (Project),
WHEREAS, The ARPA Executive Committee has requested authorization to disburse ARPA funding in the amount of $3 million to and enter into an agreement with the Advance Albany County Alliance, acting as administrator, to serve as matching funds to cover costs above the RestoreNY grant funds for the Project, and
WHEREAS, The ARPA Executive Committee has indicated that such funding would be used in conjunction with RestoreNY grant funding to abate asbestos at the Central Warehouse property and demolish the structure to allow for an economically advantageous use of the property, and
WHEREAS, The Project has been designated a Type I action and the Albany County Legislature has circulated lead agency status amongst the involved and interested agencies and has assumed Lead Agency status for this Project, and
WHEREAS, A full Environmental Assessment Form has been completed and, after review, it has been recommended that the Project will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That Resolution No. 672 for 2023 is hereby rescinded in its entirety, with the money referenced therein to be repurposed for this Project, and, be it further
RESOLVED, By the Albany County Legislature that this Honorable Body has considered the recommendation and materials submitted and hereby determines that the Project will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment and hereby issues a negative declaration pursuant to SEQRA, and, be it further
RESOLVED, By the Albany County Legislature that the County Executive is authorized to disburse ARPA funding in the amount of $3 million to the Advance Albany County Alliance for the Project, contingent upon the award of RestoreNY grant funding from New York State, and, be it further
RESOLVED, By the Albany County Legislature that the 2024 Albany County Budget is hereby amended as follows, contingent upon the award of RestoreNY grant funding from New York State:
Increase Revenue Account CM.4.2507S.04089Z.ARP24 by $3,000,000
Increase Appropriation Account CM.9.2507S.44046Z.ARP24 by $3,000,000 by increasing Line Item 44046Z.ARP24 by $3,000,000
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the County Attorney is authorized to approve said agreement as to form and content, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the County Legislature is directed to forward certified copies of this resolution to the appropriate County Officials.