The Madison County (NY) Board of Supervisors will consider a new local law on a program that could bolster residential renewable energy projects.
The local law, titled “Energize NY Open C-Pace Financing Program,” would give qualified property owners access to funding to install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency measures, with repayment being billed on the property’s real property taxes.
The local law outlines the intent of the program as to achieve “energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the effect of global climate change and advance a clean energy economy.”
In order to qualify, homeowners must not be in bankruptcy and be current on mortgage payments and taxes. Funding borrowed for each project must be repaid within the average useful life of the project or improvements installed on the property. Repayment will be billed once a year and added to the property’s tax bill. A lien will also be recorded against the property until the loan is repaid.
There will be a public hearing at the next board meeting, Oct. 8th at 2:15 p.m., on the proposed local law.
Also at the meeting earlier this month, the board passed a resolution granting 3 percent raises for salaried management employees.
Those positions include the county administrator, county attorney, undersheriff and the director and deputy directors of various departments like solid waste, emergency management, planning, public facilities, probation, administrative services, and finance, among many others.
The board also agreed to increase the hourly wages of blue-collar employees not represented by unions. Those wages will be increased to be competitive with the state-set fast-food worker wage of $13.75 an hour that was increased at the end of 2019. The job titles slated to get raises include groundskeepers, solid waste operators and aides, cleaners and cooks.
The sheriff’s office will test out a new work schedule for its patrol division. The department, along with the Madison County Police Benevolent Association, is pushing for 12-hour workdays for deputies assigned to road patrol. Deputies currently work 8 or 10-hour shifts. A trial-run of the new schedule will last six months and then be evaluated.
Madison County was awarded a $300,000 New York Main Street Program Grant through New York State Homes and Community Renewal Office to improve buildings in the village of Canastota. The program aims to improve buildings in order to boost commercial and residential activity and “invigorate street life” in the village, according to the resolution passed this month.
Some of the grant will be split between four different properties, including 210 S. Peterboro St. ($63,750), 102 S. Peterboro St. ($50,000), 214-222 Peterboro St. ($47,000) and 101 N. Peterboro St. ($50,000).