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Beekman board adopts Climate Smart Communities pledge to pursue state grants and efficiency projects
Summary
The Beekman Town Board voted unanimously April 22 to adopt the New York State Climate Smart Communities pledge, a move supporters said will improve grant competitiveness and enable technical support for energy-efficiency projects such as costly LED ballfield lighting.
The Beekman Town Board voted April 22 to adopt the New York State Climate Smart Communities pledge, which backers said will make the town more competitive for state grants and provide technical support for energy-efficiency and environmental programs.
Supporters said the pledge offers practical steps — from conducting emissions inventories and setting goals to increasing renewable energy use and enhancing community resilience — that could unlock funding for local projects. "We're going to have the opportunity to apply for grants at New York State," said Susette Lopein, interim chair of the town's Conservation Advisory Committee, urging the board to pass the resolution and form a task force to pursue certification and grants.
Why it matters: Board members and residents said adopting the pledge could lower long-term costs and help the town pursue upgrades such as LED lighting for recreational facilities. Lopein and other speakers pointed to shared-service opportunities with neighboring municipalities and the Hudson Valley Regional Council liaison as resources to boost competitiveness.
During discussion, Lopein cited a recent quote for new ballpark lighting and the potential scale of such projects: an initial estimate described in the meeting as "375 to 400," later clarified by a speaker as "that's 375,000," underscoring why grant support could be significant.
The board approved Resolution 11 by roll call. Councilman Capillary said seeing an estimate for LED lighting for the baseball field "really drilled this home for me" and that the town could realize savings through grants. Bill Crane, a member of the public, encouraged the board, saying the pledge could "stimulate all kinds of exciting projects" from recycling to tree preservation.
Votes at a glance: The board took several routine actions at the meeting in addition to adopting the climate pledge. All recorded roll-call votes reported four affirmative votes (Councilman Capillary, Councilman Benolini, Councilman Morman, Supervisor Kabuchi) on items including acceptance of the Jan. 21 minutes (Resolution 6), corrections to restricted fund balances (correction resolution), adoption of the town website terms-of-use and privacy policy, appointment of EFPR Group CPAs for the 2024 audit (Resolution 10, fee not to exceed $9,000), adoption of the Climate Smart Communities pledge (Resolution 11) and authorization of payment of claims and payroll totals (Resolution 12). Each of those items passed by roll call during the meeting.
What comes next: Supporters said the next steps will include forming a task force composed of a town board member, town staff, CAC members and other interested residents to pursue the certification process and apply for grants. No timeline was set in the meeting.
The resolution text adopted by the board lists the pledge's 10 elements, including commitments to set goals, inventory emissions, decrease energy use, expand recycling and prepare for climate impacts.
