Grant to fund sustainability measures

WAMPVSILLE, N.Y. » The county will hire a company to analyze its fleet of vehicles to look for ways to be more efficient and reduce the county’s carbon footprint.

Using a $15,000 grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Madison County Board of Supervisors voted to hire a company called Energetics. The project will be in line with the county’s Energy and Sustainability Plan, adopted in 2016, that focuses on reducing the county’s carbon emissions.

“The county’s transportation sector costs and emissions are significant and represent an opportunity for making improvements and saving taxpayer dollars,” the resolution passed Tuesday says.

Energetics will study the county’s vehicle fleet and identify opportunities for efficiencies, sustainability measures and cost reduction.

The board authorized the county to partake in negotiations with Canastota Windpower LLC. The company operates a 30 megawatt wind farm in the town of Fenner. The project’s initial PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement with the town of Fenner and the Canastota Central School District has expired.

In order to avoid decommissioning the project, Canastota Windpower has proposed investing $27 million in new wind turbine technology and negotiating a new PILOT agreement. The company has filed court proceedings challenging the assessment of the wind farm; a memorandum of understanding between Canastota Windpower, the town of Fenner and the school district could resolve those court actions. Additionally, Madison County could be included in a new PILOT agreement, as well as the Canastota, Morrisville-Eaton and Cazenovia school districts.

An auction is scheduled for Sept. 15 for all properties seized by the county for delinquent taxes. The board set a date of Sept. 14 as a deadline for any owners to purchase back properties that have been foreclosed on.