The Fenner Town Board last week approved resolutions to encourage use of solar energy in the town and to make municipal lighting more energy efficient.
The board unanimously approved the adoption of the New York State Unified Solar Permit, which is intended to reduce costs for solar projects by streamlining municipal permitting processes and support the growth of clean energy jobs across the state. The state will give $2,500 to every municipality that approves the permit, and that money can be used by the municipality for anything it chooses.
The standard permit fee to install solar panels in Fenner now will be $50, according to Supervisor Dave Jones.
The Nelson Town Board approved the same permit resolution at its February meeting, during which Scott Ingmire, Madison County Planning director, who attended the meeting, told the board that the program may sound “too good to be true” but it was true. He said the use of solar panels has “really taken off” during the past five years in Madison County and across New York state.
The board also unanimously approved a resolution to participate in the National Grid Small Business program, which is an energy conservation program designed to bring customers to an average monthly energy demand of less than or equal to 100 kilowatt hours.
Under the program, National Grid will arrange to install 43 energy efficient light fixtures throughout the Fenner municipal building and highway garage, as well as a new LED area light on a pole mount outside the entrance to the town office building.
The total cost of the program will be $5,883, of which the town will pay $4,125 over a period of 58 months, Jones said. National Grid will pay the rest of the cost.
The estimated annual savings created by the program to the town will be $849.91 and 7,643 kilowatt hours.
Also at the meeting, the board unanimously agreed to hold its annual Town Clean-Up Days, tentatively scheduled to occur from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday, May 1, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at the Fenner Town Garage on Nelson Road.
As in years past, Fenner residents only will be limited to one pick-up truckload of trash and four tires off the rims. No household garbage, refrigerators, freezers, TVs, computers, propane tanks, air conditioners or ag plastic will be accepted. All ag plastic will be accepted directly at the transfer station or landfill.
If the time, date or place of the Clean-Up Days changes, new information will be posted on the town website.
For more information about the 2015 Clean Up Day, call the town office at 655-2705.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
