The Cazenovia Village Board of Trustees last week unanimously approved the Cazenovia Climate Action Plan, which will act as a guide to village officials and residents on the best ways to reduce energy use, increase energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprints. The plan offers goals and recommendations for action based on the greenhouse gas inventory of the village completed last year, but it is not a binding document or a new village law.
“The Climate Action Plan is similar to a comprehensive plan — it’s really a blueprint for the future,” said Anne Saltman, principal planner with the CNY Regional Planning and Development Board, who presented the 55-page draft plan to the board at its March 2 meeting.
Both the town and village of Cazenovia have been working together on developing a Climate Action Plan since 2013, and both have adopted the Climate Smart Community Pledge to act in ways to protect the environment.
Cazenovia’s goal is to reduce “greenhouse gas” emissions by 20 percent by the year 2025. The CAP focuses on ways to reach that goal through energy efficiency, emission reduction and through the increased use of renewable resources in areas such as transportation, solid waste disposal and building energy efficiency, according to the plan.
The plan was developed by an advisory committee made comprised of town and village elected officials, representatives from community organizations and community leaders, and was prepared by the CNY Regional Planning and Development Board.
According to the results of the greenhouse gas emissions study of the village, as listed in the CAP, the municipality’s vehicle fleet and buildings and facilities generate 85 percent of the village’s carbon emissions, or 179 metric tons of carbon dioxide. The village community emissions of a total 16,445 metric tons of carbon dioxide are split between 37 percent from commercial buildings, 37 percent from residential buildings and 24 percent from transportation.
The CAP offers the community numerous recommended strategies by which the municipality and community members can reduce their emissions to help reach the CAP goal. Some of these strategies for both the municipality and for commercial and residential buildings include:
✓Conversion to hybrid or electric vehicles.
✓Lighting occupancy sensors.
✓Power-down at night.
✓Installation of solar panels and geothermal heat pumps.
✓Installation of low-flow toilets and faucets.
✓Indoor appliances and lighting retrofitting to more energy efficient facilities.
✓Increased walking and bicycling; increased telecommuting to work and bus ridership to school.
According to the CAP, the cost to implement emission reduction strategies in municipal operations is estimated to be $760,000 with estimated annual cost savings of $139,000, and the estimated payback period to be 5.47 years. The implementation costs on the community side are estimated at $12.5 million with total annual cost savings estimated to be $11.5 million, and the estimated payback period is 1.09 years.
The CAP also calls for the village to continue on with meetings of the CAP Advisory Committee every six to 12 months to continually evaluate where the community is with implementation of these emission reducing strategies.
“It’s important that we continue on with this process,” Saltman said.
The full text of the CAP, as well as two technical appendices that explain in greater details the strategy descriptions, calculations, source information, potential cost savings and emission reductions and payback periods, will be posted on the village website at villageofcazenovia.org.
Also at the meeting, the board:
—Heard from Trustee Dave Porter that SmartWatt, the company approved to undertake the village’s energy performance contract, will begin conducting its energy survey on Wednesday, March 11, and will also be measuring village street lights for the amount of light they cast.
—Held a public hearing on a proposed local law to provide for the appointment of alternate members to the village planning board, zoning board of appeals and historic preservation committee. No members of the public spoke, but board members expressed their approval of the issue. The board did not take any action on the law, but agreed to forward it to the county for review.
—Scheduled its third work session on the village budget for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, in the board meeting room of the village municipal building.
—Scheduled a public hearing for 7 p.m. Monday, April 6, to discuss the proposal to amend local law to authorize the village to exceed the 2 percent tax levy cap for the village’s 2015-16 budget and fiscal year. This is an action the board takes every year, Mayor Kurt Wheeler said.
—Scheduled a public hearing for 7:05 p.m. Monday, April 6, to present the village’s tentative 2015-16 budget to the public. The board will likely vote on the budget after the public hearing during the board’s regular meeting that night, Wheeler said.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
