City Council:
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR
TO EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
AGREEMENT WITH ARUP FOR PHASE II OF
THE NEW YORK STATE ENERGY RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
(NYSERDA) PROJECT
Whereas, in correspondence dated February 3, 2026, the Commissioner of the Department of Planning & Community Development formally requested authorization for the Mayor to execute a Professional Services Agreement with ARUP for the City's participation in Phase II of the NYSERDA-funded climate resilience and urban heat mitigation project, together with such other documents as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Ordinance; and
Whereas, the City of Mount Vernon has undertaken ongoing efforts to modernize its zoning ordinance, strengthen environmental sustainability initiatives, and advance climate resilience planning consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan; and
Whereas, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority ("NYSERDA") sponsors and funds programs designed to support municipalities in implementing climate-responsive planning, environmental equity, and sustainable land use strategies; and
Whereas, the City Council previously authorized the Mayor to execute a Letter of Commitment with ARUP, an international environmental and engineering consulting firm, in support of ARUP's submission to NYSERDA for Phase I of a climate resilience and urban heat mitigation initiative; and
Whereas, ARUP has subsequently been selected by NYSERDA to advance the initiative into Phase II, which focuses on implementation-oriented planning, policy integration, and the development of actionable climate resilience strategies; and
Whereas, Phase II of the project will support the City of Mount Vernon in refining and applying urban heat and environmental data, evaluating zoning and development standards through a climate resilience lens, and developing practical policy tools to be incorporated into the City's zonin...
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