Ulster County authorizes $12,875 in municipal sponsorships for 250th anniversary programs

The Rules, Laws, and Government Services Committee on July 9 authorized the chair of the Ulster County Legislature to enter intermunicipal agreements to distribute municipal sponsorship funding for 250th anniversary programming.

The resolution authorizes municipal awards totaling $12,875, broken down as: City of Kingston, $3,500; Town of Esopus, $3,500; Town of Wawarsing, $2,500; Village of Ellenville, $2,500; Town of Woodstock, $875. Deputy County Executive Amenta told the committee the county clerk ran a competitive grant process that produced a larger slate of nonprofit awardees and said the total program awards to all recipients came to $49,700, while the 2026 budgeted amount for the program was $50,000. "The amount awarded in total to all of the recipients is 49,700," Amenta said.

Several legislators asked that the resolution more clearly list municipal awardees and noted the nonprofits were not currently listed; one proposed an amendment to add the nonprofit list to the whereas clauses but later withdrew the motion to amend. Legislator Peters moved approval of the intermunicipal agreements and Legislator Nolan seconded. With no further discussion, the committee approved the resolution unanimously.

Amenta recited the nonprofit winners in response to members' questions; among the organizations cited were the Rosendale Theatre, D & H Canal Museum, Hudson River Maritime Museum, Historic Huguenot Street and others. Committee members asked that the award information be noted for Ways and Means and in the session materials even if not added to the intermunicipal agreement language.