Ulster County News

FROM: ULSTER COUNTY OFFICE

DATE: March 14, 2005 

Good evening, Mr. Chairman, Majority Leader, members of the Legislature, members of the Press, County Employees and the people of Ulster County. Last year I stood before you and pledged an agenda for a more responsible and responsive Government. Although it was this weak voice making that promise, I was armed with a large class of idealistic freshman Legislators and a knowledgeable set of experienced veterans. With an eye towards idealism, tempered with cooperation and common sense we saw more reform enacted by this legislature in the past 12 months than in the previous 25 years combined.

Many long time Democratic ideas came to a reality. We finally saw the creation of a Charter Commission to study ways of bringing our county government into the 21st century. By 2006 we should see those changes begin to bloom. We unveiled the decision process by prying open the caucus doors. All resolutions are posted on the Internet each month due to an initiative by Legislator Lomita. (This year we should add all committee meeting notices and their minutes.) Through resolution we ended the revolving door of County Legislators taking jobs away from those that were more qualified. We cracked open the door toward zero-based budgeting, but still have a long way to go.

Obviously, none of this could have happened without cooperation from the other side of the aisle. We would not have seen the Water Quality Management System promoted by Legislator Bartels or the Open Space inventory so dear to Legislator Rodriguez or the study to create a Housing Authority championed by Legislator Provenzano. With support from both sides, Legislator Robert Parete brought our hands together to create an innovative idea to purchase Automatic External Defibrillators at a bulk rate. This will enable many small businesses and private homes to purchase the life saving devices that would have otherwise been unaffordable.

When the Ellenville Hospital couldn’t get an audience with the whole Legislature to explain their plight, they turned to the Democratic Caucus. We made it clear that we could not sit by and watch this hospital close. It would have had serious economic, social and health consequences for that part of the County. To Chairman Gerentine’s credit, he began to hear those cries and he reached out to form a partnership to save the Hospital. The Chairman, Legislator Stoeckeler, along with the entire Legislature, unions, community and the village, town, state and federal governments partnered to keep this facility in operation. There is much praise to go around, but the true heroes in this story are the workers. Seeing their community in need they were willing to do with less compensation, protection and benefits. They stood up and made a difference, but you don’t read that story in the press.

I can’t express the joy I felt last week when Assemblyman Kevin Cahill announced that he secured the funds needed to protect the pensions of these hospital workers. The Ellenville Hospital is alive and well and doing better than it has in decades. We can all be proud of that.

I will not stand here in the name of the Democratic Caucus or the Legislature and list all the great things that the various departments accomplished for our County this year. The Chairman has already done that. On behalf of the Democratic Caucus and the people we represent, I do want to thank our workforce. They are our greatest asset.

While the Law Enforcement project began bleeding red with the purchase of the property to build it on, the Republican leadership fiddled. Both veteran Democratic Legislators that voted for and against the project cried out immediately and continued to cry out as other problems surfaced. No capital project committee was formed despite a resolution requiring one. The Republican leadership fiddled. Having only a little over a handful of members at the time, our cries fell on arrogant ears and eyes that refused to listen or see past the façade of progress.

Long before we could force better oversight through our added numbers the die was cast. We now face more lawsuits, more spending and more delays. Although we have pledged to work toward completing this project at the least additional cost and delay, we are sickened by the position we have been forced into. We are sickened by what these overruns will cost the County taxpayer in money and lost services.

Six months ago Bovis sent in what they claimed to be a "turn around" person to get this project on track. We were cautiously optimistic. That optimism has dwindled. If you follow the money trail, less work is being performed now than before. The Project Manager continues to change completion dates. If it is not the time to consider replacing the Project Manager, when will it be?

Leadership is defined as, to show the way by going in advance, to guide or direct in a course, or to inspire. County Government has done little in the way of leading in the past few decades and that must change.

Economic Development Department

A recent Ulster County Development Corporation study indicated that County Government has shown a lack of leadership in regard to economic development. The County Committee to explore how to assist in filling our largest vacant industrial site, Tech City, has met once in two years. This past September five Democratic Legislators, including me, attended the only direct meeting with the owner in the past year that I am aware of.

The nuts and bolts of economic development presently lie in the UCDC, Tourism, and the Planning Department. Yet these three have had little communication or joint efforts until very recently. I will not venture down the path of who is at fault. If the Democratic Caucus hasn’t made it clear yet, let us make it clear now; open communication is a must.

We can’t expect the UCDC or any agency to lead this County’s economic development. The Leadership must come from within. From revolving loan funds to the open space inventory, from shovel ready funds, to the Farm Land Protection Board, from IDA bonds to Community Grant Funds, from Cornell Cooperative to Tourism, from the Empire Zones to the Environmental Management Council, we have many tools at our disposal, yet the perception is that we are floundering and without vision. We lack identity. Our economic development efforts are disconnected.

A clear vision as to what Ulster County is and what it has to offer is paramount for our success. When organizations sense they are floundering, they must look at the structure. What is true of a corporation is true of a government’s economic development structure. The structure helps dictate the outcome. Structural change is never easy.

Although the UCDC is an autonomous body, the County’s funding of $260,000 dictates that this Legislature needs to supply more direction, more leadership.

I am proposing an Economic Development Department. The UCDC or a county run Economic Development Agency, along with Planning and Tourism should be part of the department. These three need to be on the same page and eventually in the same building. Every Legislator here tonight knows something must change; yet my vision may be different from others. To that, I am asking for an exploratory committee made up of three Republicans and three Democrats each chosen by their respective leaders to explore the idea of creating an Ulster County Economic Development Department. Mindful of our budget difficulties, I believe restructuring can be done without additional funds being allocated.

On the local level, let’s work toward partnerships with the towns. How many times have we seen an immediate NIMBY ("not in my back yard") response on a project as soon as the developer starts discussion on a project? The County must take a leadership role in searching out types of development each municipality want in general and on specific properties. What is acceptable in one town may not be acceptable in another. The same is true within towns themselves. Earmark specific properties and get community insight before developers come in.

We recently expanded the IDA to include two new members to bring in new blood yet keep continuity. Having the responsibility of recommending tax-free bonds, the IDA has significant power in regard to economic development. This Legislature has also taken a strong stand on preserving open space. The IDA must recognize the Legislature’s vision and use their influence to push for more redevelopment of brown sites and property already in use that can be expanded.

Fairweather Consulting in 1999 did an economic impact study for the Catskill Mountain Railroad. One finding in the study was the need to create a larger tourism experience to compliment the Railroad. Legislator Kraft dusted off the study and has been pushing toward creating a Rails-to-Trails experience on the Catskill Mountain Railroad. Like the other 61 Rails-To-Trails presently in operation, it could safely create walking, cycling, jogging, fishing, and other recreation for locals and tourists to enjoy. Dennis Doyle of the Planning Department has found the federal funding within his budget to carry out the needed study. We hope to see that completed this year.

Let’s lead the way in creating partnerships with the municipalities. Whether considering the Van Dale Lease or signing an agreement with the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma to pave the way for Casino gambling, the towns too often are the last to know what plans the County may have in regard to their community. Cooperation is a key word here.

We need to work toward more sharing of space, services and operations. The possibility of merging the City of Kingston’s Bus Transportation with the County’s is a start in the right direction. Bring in all the towns to seek their input on public transportation needs.

Legislator Berardi took the initiative to do a survey he circulated to all the towns. A copy should be on your desk. Although all did not respond, there is a clear need for space by many of the towns, while other towns have space that is deficient because of its age.

Here is a place where we can share. We also have the ability to lead in helping towns by being a facilitator in inter-municipal cooperation. We may save significant money for the towns and ourselves. The survey also shows that inter-municipal ventures could be helpful in regard to recreation. We may be able to improve the quality of life for the people of Ulster County without spending more money.

Retool the Space Committee to take on these new charges. Perhaps it could be renamed the Space and Inter-municipal Cooperation Committee. I also again call on Chairman Gerentine to appoint a Republican liaison to the towns to complement our liaison, Legislator Berardi.

The Budget

Despite the best effort of this caucus, last year’s budget process was flawed at best. Over projected sales tax estimates from the year before and a hastily adopted hotel tax has the County facing a $3,000,000 dollar shortfall and we haven’t finished the first quarter yet. $14,000,000 of the fund balance was used to offset taxes. As a minority we have no ability to direct the department heads. I have had discussions with each member of the Caucus about the need to question all spending and resist any new spending.

We have asked for zero-based budgeting for the past three years. Tonight we present a resolution with the following general purposes:

1. To require all departments and agencies to submit their annual budgets based on zero budgeting principles.

2. All annual budgets estimated from the departments must be submitted to the County Administrator by the first day in September.

3. To require that the County Administrator file a tentative budget and message with the Clerk of the Legislature by the first day of October.

4. In the event that the Legislature fails to timely adopt a budget for the ensuing fiscal year, then the budget as adopted for the current year shall constitute the budget for the ensuing fiscal year.

The above will give us more time to adjust the budget and increase the motivation to complete a responsible budget. We must keep in mind that we presently amend our budget throughout the year and that ability will not change.

For the past four years the Majority offered resolutions pointing at the state to give Medicaid relief. Last year Chairman Gerentine organized a symposium of County and State officials to discuss the problem. Neither do anything to address issues we have within our control.

While Albany and Rockland Counties have realized savings by having their Medicaid recipients on Mandatory Managed Care we presently have 15% on Managed Care. At least four or five of the same providers that insure our employees are available for Medicaid Managed Care.

Legislator Kraft has been in discussion with Assemblyman Cahill on our ability to create pilot programs in Medicaid. Just as the private managed care industry rework their prescription drug benefit to include more generic drugs and better prices through bulk; we can do the same within our Medicaid program. The state is open for such pilot programs and we need to take advantage of that.

We can still ask for relief, but in the meantime let’s make more effort to save on the costs we have control over.

To paraphrase Confucius, you should take good advice no matter where it comes from. We all must understand that every member of this Legislature has something to offer. We have a significant amount of talent.

Let us use our talent to shed the "fiddlers thirty-three" label. Let us lead Ulster County into the future.

David B. Donaldson, Minority Leader