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 this
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 this article and attendant provisions of the Administrative Code;
C. Assisting in the preparation of a capital improvement
program as may be set forth in this Charter and attendant provisions
of the Administrative Code;
D. Exercising the powers of review and approval over land use pursuant to §
C-51 of this article 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; and
D. Act as liaison between County agencies and nonprofit
bodies involved in economic and community development for which the
County provides funding.