Governor Hochul’s Pro-Housing Community Program The past few years have been a rocky time for the housing market in the Hudson Valley, to say the least. With this year’s record high interest rates for mortgages and homes still listed at double or triple what they last sold for, the market doesn’t seem to be offering…
What the New York State Climate Leadership Community Protection Act means for New Yorkers: Insights from an Attorney The New York State Climate Leadership Community Protection Act (CLCPA) adopted in 2019 represents a concerted effort by the New York legislature to combat the effects of climate change. The purpose of the CLCPA is to…
Governor Hochul’s Executive Order Promotes Construction of Housing On July 18, 2023, Governor Hochul signed Executive Order No. 30 designed to promote additional housing construction throughout the State—a goal from Hochul’s Housing Compact that did not pass in the latest budget. The Order focuses on actions taken by “Affected State Entities,” which include executive…
How Local Governments Can Increase Public Engagement in Municipal Development Since the beginning of the pandemic, once-sleepy towns and hamlets across the Hudson Valley and Catskills have been facing the pressing need to grow to accommodate an influx of new residents. Whether it’s someone hoping to complete renovations on a building to open a new…
Implications of the Supreme Court Ruling on Wetland Regulation Under Clean Water Act. SCOTUS Wetland Case: Sackett v. EPA On May 25, 2023, the Supreme Court came down with a ruling that limits the power of the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) to regulate activity surrounding wetlands under the Clean Water Act (“CWA”). The Court’s…
PROS AND CONS OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS In recent years, the short-term rental (STR) market has grown in Sullivan County and its surrounding areas and there are no signs that it will disappear any time soon given the popularity of websites like Airbnb and VRBO. When STRs are properly regulated, positive impacts can benefit…
OPEN MEETINGS LAW AMENDED TO PERMIT SOME REMOTE ATTENDANCE The Open Meetings Law was recently amended to permit public bodies to use videoconferencing to conduct open meetings under “extraordinary circumstances” without there being a declared state disaster emergency in effect. Public bodies seeking to use remote attendance must adopt a local law or ordinance to…
SEEDING OPPORTUNITY INITIATIVE: NYS CANNABIS UPDATE On March 10, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the first-in-the-nation Seeding Opportunity Initiative, which will position individuals with prior cannabis-related criminal offenses to make the first adult-use cannabis sales of New York-grown products. This farm-to-store initiative makes sales in New York possible before the end of 2022. This initiative…
GOVERNOR HOCHUL SIGNS CONDITIONAL ADULT-USE CANNABIS CULTIVATION BILL Continuing the New York State Office of Cannabis Management’s momentum, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation creating a new type of adult-use cannabis license, the “Conditional Adult-Use Cannabis Cultivation” license. This license establishes a “fast-track” path for existing NYS hemp farmers to apply for a conditional license to…
PRESS RELEASE For more information, contact: Michele Babcock, Managing Partner J&G LLP, 845-764-9656 J&G Attorneys Selected to Present Continuing Education to Dutchess County Board of Realtors WALDEN, N.Y. – Two attorneys at the law firm of J&G, LLP (J&G) were selected to present a continuing education course to the Dutchess County Board of Realtors. On…
