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Residents, task force push climate action, recertification and grant plans in Warren County meeting
Summary
A county meeting on April 22 included public appeals to form a climate working group and updates from the Warren County Climate Smart Task Force on recertification, grants and data projects; no formal county action was taken.
An organizer with North Country Earth Action urged the Warren County Environmental Concerns committee on April 22 to form a citizen–staff working group, host town halls and explore a pilot solar farm, saying such steps could reduce energy costs and boost local jobs and resilience.
The call for local collaboration came during the committee’s public comment period on Earth Day. The commenter said North Country Earth Action (and its CAT Action Team) can help towns engage residents, and recommended inviting Third Act Upstate New York to explain related state legislation at a future meeting.
Matthew Smith, speaking for the Warren County Climate Smart Task Force, gave the committee updates after public comment. He said the county submitted a recertification application in January to remain a Bronze Climate Smart Community and expected a decision in June; the certification, if granted, runs for five years. Smith also reported on an award or application related to a municipal waste reduction and recycling education grant (he described applying for $20,000 toward a $40,000 total project) and on a separate $20,000 allocation that will support data collection and an interactive web platform to integrate waste and composting efforts with county outreach.
Smith said the Capital District Regional Planning Commission presented a regional climate action plan and a community-scale greenhouse gas benchmarking study that the task force expects to use when that data is released in September. He added that the county is tracking three programs under the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act to identify candidate projects and is coordinating with the county Department of Public Works and soil and water staff; those grant program application deadlines are due June 6.
No formal motions or votes were taken on these climate items at the meeting. Committee members and the commenter discussed forming a working group to explore priorities and potential local projects, including a solar farm example the commenter described as having potential to lower household energy costs and support local economic activity.
The Climate Smart Task Force announced its next meeting for May 14 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and offered to share a recorded briefing by the Capital District Regional Planning Commission with any committee members who requested it.
