There shall be a Department of Planning,
headed by a Director of Planning. The County Executive shall appoint
the Director of Planning from among three nominees given him or her
by the Ulster County Planning Board, subject to confirmation by the
Legislature. The Planning Board may nominate only persons possessed
of at least the minimum educational attainments, professional qualifications
and administrative experience set out in New York State law. In the
event that the County Planning Board fails to bring forward to the
County Executive three recommendations for the position within 90
days of the occurrence of a vacancy, the County Executive shall make
the appointment on his or her own initiative, subject to confirmation
by the Legislature. The Director of Planning shall serve at the pleasure
of the County Executive.
Except as may otherwise be provided
in the Charter, the County Director of Planning and Planning Board
shall have all the powers and perform all the duties conferred and/or
imposed in the Charter, state law or the County Administrative Code
upon a county director of planning or a county planning board. The
Director of Planning and/or the County Planning Board shall perform
such other and related duties as required by the County Executive
or County Legislature. These powers shall include, but not be limited
to:
A. Advising the County Executive, County Legislature,
County departments, and other agencies with respect to any matter
relating to the development or redevelopment of the County on which
an opinion is requested or upon which the Director of Planning deems
it advisable to report;
B. Preparing and maintaining a Comprehensive Plan and annual planning program for the County as set forth in § C-52 of the Charter and attendant provisions of the Administrative Code;
C. Assisting in the preparation of a capital
improvement program as may be set forth in the Charter and attendant
provisions of the Administrative Code;
D. Exercising the powers of review and approval over land use pursuant to § C-51 of the Charter and attendant provisions of the Administrative Code;
E. Making available, within constraints of available
resources, the professional staff of the Department of Planning for
advice regarding planning to the City of Kingston and the towns and
villages within the County;
F. Maintaining basic data on the County's population,
land use, housing, environmental status, human and natural resources
and other such matters and performing studies, analysis, plans and
recommendations as may be necessary in the exercise of the powers
and performance of the duties set forth in this article; and
G. Acting as host board with regard to the Ulster
County Transportation Council.
The Director of Planning shall:
A. Exercise the duties and responsibilities accorded
him or her under the bylaws adopted by the County Planning Board;
B. Serve ex officio on the County Environmental
Management Council;
C. Serve ex officio on the County Agricultural
Farmland Protection Board;
D. Act as liaison between County agencies and
nonprofit bodies involved in economic and community development for
which the County provides funding; and
E. Reports. On or before March 1 of each year, the County
Planning Board shall make an annual report to the County Legislature
and County Executive for the immediately preceding calendar year covering
generally the work of the department. The Commissioner or Director
shall make such other reports at such times as may be required by
the County Legislature, County Executive or any other applicable law.
Copies of all reports shall be filed with the Clerk of the County
Legislature and the County Executive.
The Planning Board shall have the following
additional powers and duties:
A. To consult with and advise the Director of
Planning in the performance of his or her duties.
B. To review the capital improvement program
prepared by the Department of Planning and guidelines for its preparation;
to make written recommendations to the County Executive and the County
Legislature on all capital projects contained in the program and on
the priority of capital projects in the first year of the program;
and to review and make written recommendations on any capital project
additions to the capital improvement program or capital budget.
C. To review the Comprehensive Plan and to submit
its recommendations on it to the County Executive and to make recommendations
on any proposed amendments to that plan prior to action being taken
on such amendments by the County government and to review procedural
guidelines for the coordination and preparation of the Comprehensive
Plan and annual planning program.
D. To conduct studies and review County policies
and standards for inclusion in the Comprehensive Plan and to make
recommendations regarding such policies and standards to the County
Executive and Legislature as it sees fit.
E. To have all the powers and duties assigned
to a county planning board under Article 12-B of the General Municipal
Law.