Hi David, This month, I delivered my second State of the County Address. I reflected on the resilience, compassion, and ingenuity our community has shown during the challenges of the past year and unveiled new initiatives that will drive the future of our County as we emerge from the pandemic, including investments in solidifying Ulster County’s position as a leader in the green economy and a Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilot program. WATCH NOW: 
Here are some of the highlights from the address: Universal Basic Income Pilot Program Amidst the pandemic’s devastation, we have our first opportunity in a generation to think about creative and innovative ways to help people in need. In 2021, Ulster County will become one of the first counties in the country to undertake a large-scale universal basic income pilot program -- where we’ll provide much-needed economic relief directly to families throughout the county. 
Through a partnership between Project Resilience, the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income, Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, and Ulster Savings Bank, Ulster County will be providing 100 qualifying households with direct relief payments of $500 a month for an entire year, all funded through the generosity of community donations. To check your eligibility and apply for the program fill out a survey at ProjectResilienceUBI.com by March 15th. A Green New Deal for Ulster County Rather than reverting back to our pre-pandemic economy, where far too many were already living paycheck-to-paycheck, we will lean into the future economy -- further accelerating our work to implement a Green New Deal here in Ulster County. We will prove that taking aggressive climate action is not only the morally right thing to do, but that it will position us as an economic leader in the State and across the nation. We announced three major initiatives that will simultaneously protect our environment and boost our economy. These initiatives are part of a larger comprehensive, multi-pronged plan to further build on our Green New Deal in Ulster County efforts. We can not just tackle the challenges of today, we must look forward and lay the groundwork for a greener, more equitable, and more just society. Ulster County Green Business Champions The County will be launching a ground-breaking public-private partnership to more aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The program will provide direct support to local businesses in planning and implementing green investments -- such as improving energy efficiency and using renewable energy. It will also help business access financing and celebrate those who lead the way. Solarize Ulster The County will begin efforts to dramatically accelerate local renewable energy generation through community solar production and distribution. Through the County’s new Solarize Ulster program, without having to install any solar panels or equipment at one’s home, any resident can essentially “plug in” to a nearby community solar array. Green Careers Academy In 2019, Ulster County launched its Green Careers Academy in partnership with SUNY Ulster. This year, the County will significantly expand the Green Careers Academy, building a more robust pipeline to help put people back to work post-pandemic in the rapidly expanding green jobs sector. A growing need to build green infrastructure in the coming decade requires a highly-skilled workforce, which the Green Careers Academy will help to develop. The County will dramatically bolster the Green Careers Academy by bringing on a host of new partners including Ulster BOCES, Bard College, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Central Hudson, Citizens for Local Power, Habitat for Humanity, the Climate Reality Project, and several local labor unions to help train residents and help them secure good-paying green jobs. Now is the moment -- as we emerge from a crisis that highlighted the flaws and cracks below the surface in our economy, and our community writ large -- to come out stronger. Not by just tackling the challenges of today, but by looking forward and laying the groundwork for a greener, more equitable, and more just society. This will not be easy, but it can be done -- if we all summon the same grit, compassion, and resilience our community has shown this last year. As the great philosopher Dr. Seuss says in one of Theo’s favorite books The Lorax, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Let us all take up this call to action - together - this year. | 
