Kinderhook trustees approve $40,000 Climate Smart allocation for Village Hall upgrades and park solar

The Kinderhook Village Board voted on Nov. 13 to allocate $40,000 in Climate Smart grant funding toward energy-efficiency improvements at Village Hall and solar panels for the Rothermel Park pavilion.

Climate Smart Task Force Chair Bill Mancini presented a June energy study that recommended replacing the water heater with a heat-pump system, insulating pipes, upgrading lighting to LED and insulating windows in the clerk and court offices. Trustee Susan Patterson moved to use the funding primarily for Village Hall upgrades and the park solar array; Trustee T. Kevin Monahan seconded. The board approved the motion with Mayor Dorene Weir and Trustees James Mark Browne, Susan Patterson and T. Kevin Monahan voting in favor and Trustee Quinn Murphy opposed, making the final tally 4–1.

Mancini said a $10,000 portion of the work identified in the energy study would cover immediate upgrades and that NYSERDA has already provided $10,000 to the village; an additional $30,000 would be available from NYSERDA once a solar application is approved. The board instructed staff to proceed with application submission and to prepare RFPs if the funding is secured.

The decision follows a brief discussion of alternative uses for the grant, including street-light LED replacement that Trustee Murphy argued would produce approximately $10,000 in annual savings. The board prioritized the combined approach of building improvements and park solar to capture matching funding opportunities and address both municipal and park infrastructure.