The County has a critical interest in maintaining the health,
safety, and welfare of its residents. As such, it has fallen on the
County to take steps to ensure that neither external municipalities
nor local businesses attempt to subvert state law and threaten the
orderly functioning of this County by improperly operating a homeless
shelter without appropriate government authority or resources to care
for those in need. Putnam County may legislate such matters under
the authority granted to it by Municipal Home Rule Law § 10,
Subdivision 1(ii)a(12), which allows it to adopt and amend local laws
related to the government, protection, order, conduct, safety, health
and well-being of persons or property therein.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
HOMELESS SHELTER
Any building or physical location that provides overnight
sleeping accommodations and is substantially intending to provide
such accommodations to the homeless in general or for specific populations
of the homeless.
TEMPORARY HOUSING
Temporary housing shall include any facility maintained primarily
for overnight occupancy by persons who are provided at least some
part or portion of the use of the facilities, including but not limited
to hotels, motels, camping units, or other rental properties.
No municipality outside of Putnam County, or agent thereof,
may offer or provide temporary housing within Putnam County, thereby
creating a homeless shelter as defined above, without first entering
into a shared services agreement with Putnam County to provide said
services.