This article shall be known as "The Rockland
County Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Act."
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
ALTERNATIVE FUEL
A substantially nonpetroleum fuel, such as compressed or
liquified natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (propane), hydrogen,
coal-derived liquid fuels, electricity (including electricity from
solar energy), mixtures containing by volume 85% or more of alcohol
fuel (including, singly or in combination, methanol, ethanol, or any
other alcohol or ether), and any other fuels derived from biological
(nonpetroleum) materials other than alcohol.
ALTERNATIVE FUEL MOTOR VEHICLE
A motor vehicle that is propelled using solely an alternative
fuel or is propelled using solely an alternative fuel in combination
with gasoline or diesel fuel, and shall not include bi-fuel motor
vehicles.
AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY
The sum of the fuel economies of all motor vehicles in a
defined group divided by the number of motor vehicles in such group.
BI-FUEL MOTOR VEHICLE
A motor vehicle that is capable of being propelled by both
an alternative fuel and gasoline or diesel fuel, but may be propelled
exclusively by any one of such fuels.
COUNTY AGENCY
A department, division, bureau, board, commission or agency
of County government, the expenses of which are paid in whole or in
part from the County treasury.
FUEL ECONOMY
The United States Environmental Protection Agency City mileage
published label value for a particular motor vehicle, pursuant to
Section 32908(b) of Title 49 of the United States Code.
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING
The value specified by the manufacturer of a motor vehicle
model as the maximum design loaded weight of a single vehicle of that
model.
HYBRID
Any motor vehicle that combines two or more fuels or sources
of energy or power that can directly or indirectly provide propulsion
power.
LIGHT-DUTY VEHICLE
Any motor vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating of
8,500 pounds or less.
MEDIUM-DUTY VEHICLE
Any motor vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating of
more than 8,500 pounds but not more than 14,000 pounds.
MOTOR VEHICLE
A vehicle propelled or driven upon a public highway which
is propelled by any power other than muscular power, except electrically
driven mobility assistance devices propelled or driven by a person
with a disability; provided, however, that this term shall not include
specially equipped vehicles.
PURCHASE
Buy, lease, borrow, obtain by gift, or otherwise (except
by forfeiture) acquire.
SPECIALLY EQUIPPED VEHICLE
A motor vehicle defined as specially equipped pursuant to
rules and regulations developed and approved by an appropriate County
agency designated by the County Executive, and adopted by the Legislature
of Rockland County.
The County shall not purchase additional bi-fuel
motor vehicles.
As practicable, using an appropriate fuel economy
inventory process, the County shall achieve the following minimum
percentage increases in the average fuel economy of all light-duty
vehicles purchased by the County during the following fiscal years,
relative to the average fuel economy of all such vehicles purchased
by the County during the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2005:
Compliance Date
|
Percentage of Vehicles to be in Compliance
|
---|
Fiscal year beginning January 1, 2006
|
5%
|
Fiscal year beginning January 1, 2007
|
8%
|
Fiscal year beginning January 1, 2008
|
10%
|
Fiscal year beginning January 1, 2009
|
12%
|
Fiscal years beginning January 1, 2010, and
January 1, 2011
|
15%
|
Fiscal years beginning January 1, 2012, January
1, 2013, and January 1, 2014
|
18%
|
Subsequent fiscal year beginning on or after
January 1, 2015
|
20%
|
During any fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2006, the County Executive, having determined at the request or recommendation of any County agency or on his own initiative that good cause exists to do so, may issue a waiver from the purchase schedule requirements of §
137-15 of this article for such fiscal year; provided that no such waiver shall become effective, and no purchases pursuant to such waiver shall be permitted, unless and until such waiver and the reasons constituting good cause to issue such waiver shall have been submitted in writing to, and by resolution approved by, the legislature of Rockland County.
Not later than January 1, 2007, and not later
than January 1 of each year thereafter, the fleet manager shall submit
a report to the County Executive and to the Legislature of Rockland
County regarding, among other things, the use of hybrid and alternative
fuel motor vehicles in the County fleet. The information contained
in this report shall include, but not be limited to, for each department
of County government:
A. The total number of light-duty vehicles and medium-duty
vehicles purchased in the year to which the report pertains;
B. The total number of light-duty vehicles and medium-duty
vehicles owned or operated by each department at the end of the year
to which the report pertains;
C. The total number of such light-duty vehicles and medium-duty
vehicles purchased in the year to which the report pertains that are
hybrid vehicles and the total number that are alternative fuel motor
vehicles (including a breakdown of the types of alternative fuel used);
D. The total number of such light-duty vehicles and medium-duty
vehicles owned or operated by each department at the end of the year
to which the report pertains that are hybrid vehicles and the total
number that are alternative fuel motor vehicles (including a breakdown
of the types of alternative fuel used); and
E. All waivers (including related determinations of good
cause, and renewals of such determinations of good cause) issued pursuant
to this article.