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Webster staff seek quick Monroe County climate grant for roadside native plantings
Summary
At the July 2 workshop, town staff presented a time‑sensitive Monroe County Community Climate Action Fund pilot grant (applications due July 8) proposing to replace about 3.4 acres of town‑maintained grassy rights‑of‑way with low‑height native plantings; staff asked the board to approve a local match and a resolution for the application.
On July 2, town staff presented a short‑notice opportunity to apply for the Monroe County Community Climate Action Fund Pilot Program, which would provide municipal funding for greenhouse‑gas reduction projects. Maria Der, the town’s presenter, told the board the program has $200,000 total and a maximum award of $10,000 for a single municipality (up to $15,000 if partnered with another entity), with a minimum 50% local match.
Der proposed a project to replace roughly 3.4 acres of town‑maintained grassy strips in the right of way with low‑height native plants to reduce mowing frequency, save fuel and staff time, and support local ecosystems. She said highway superintendent Pat Stevens identified seven initial areas that could be part of a pilot.
Der said the application deadline was imminent (the grant team learned the deadline had been extended), and that the town will need a board resolution authorizing the application and a budgeted local match to include with the submission by July 8. She recommended overmatching to increase competitiveness, suggesting a 75% match for extra points and noting a 100% match (a 50% overmatch) would yield still more points.
Board members asked for a clear budget and a work plan that addresses first‑year watering and maintenance; Der said details and line‑item costs were still being finalized but that initial estimates from the highway crew placed labor at about $3,900 for two days of initial installation work. She said the project could save roughly $2,000 a year in fuel and staff time once established.
No resolution was passed at the workshop. Der said she would prepare a proposed budget and the resolution for the next board meeting so the board could decide the match level and authorize application submission if they choose.
Next steps: staff will finalize a budget and work plan, identify volunteer support for planting if available, and present a resolution at the next board meeting authorizing the chosen match and the submission of the grant application.
