News

February 19 – Association of Towns 2019 Annual Meeting & Training School

State and Federal Funding, Financing, and Resources for Municipal Infrastructure Roundtable Discussion

When: February 19th, 2019

Location: New York Marriott Marquis, New York City

What: The Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center and government experts presented information about funding and financing for municipal infrastructure.

Who: Municipal Supervisors and Mayors, Council/Board Members, Town Clerks and Managers, DPW Staff, Town Planners, Engineers, and other interested community leaders were invited to attend.

Presentations:

https://efc.syr.edu/resources/presentations/

Preparedness Planning Workshops: Creating Watershed Resiliency in Your Community

Join us for a series of no-cost workshops that will teach you natural, easy-to-implement ways to prepare for an uncertain future. These events are open to all members of the public, and refreshments will be provided.

Register now by clicking this link: https://goo.gl/forms/8hMbRLQkUdW7JfJu1
Or register by phone: Kathy Forrest, (315)443-1131
We highly encourage you to attend multiple workshops, and please list any dietary restrictions!


Click to download.

When:
April 4th, April 25th, and May 9th, 2019, 6pm – 8:30pm
6:00pm: Hot hors d’oeuvres and registration
6:30-8:30pm: Program

Where:
Wolcott Elks Lodge
6161 W Port Bay Rd
Wolcott, NY 14590

Schedule:
April 4th, 6pm – 8:30pm
Lindsey Gerstenslager, Wayne County SWCD
Managing Water Through Naturalized Design

April 25th, 6pm – 8:30pm
Gregory M. Sargis, The Nature Conservancy
Lessons Learned from Four Recent Habitat Improvement Projects

May 9th, 6pm – 8:30pm
Jayme Thomann, Genessee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council
Land Use Tools for Stormwater and Floodplain Management

Who Should Attend:
Homeowners, municipal board members, business owners, elected officials, and municipal staff.

This work is supported by agreement with New York Sea Grant, funds provided by the Environmental Protection Fund under the authority of the New York Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Act.

2019 Local Leaders Conference

Develop Your Leadership Skills
April 2-3, 2019
Holiday Valley Resort, Ellicottville, NY
View the full program here.
Download program descriptions and bios.

Haven’t registered yet?
Check for space availability at the conference 
by calling Kathy Forrest, (315)443-1131.


About the Conference: 
We invite you to join the SU-EFC for our annual Local Leaders Conference to be held at the Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville, NY. The purpose of this conference is to provide rural leaders in New York State the opportunity to discuss local governance needs and develop leadership skills, while networking with technical assistance providers and state and federal funding agency representatives.

Who Should Attend: 
Supervisors and mayors, council/board members, town clerks and managers, DPW staff, town planners, engineers, and other interested community leaders are invited to attend.

Learn how to:

  • Build support for decisions, reduce conflict and become a compelling communicator;
  • Find funding for community resiliency and clean and safe water infrastructure;
  • Communicate with the public, your board, regulatory and funding agencies;
  • Engage the public and hold effective meetings;
  • Develop competitive grant applications;
  • Recruit and retain excellent talent for your workforce;
  • Participate in the funding and financing roundtable for municipal infrastructure, with program updates and one-on-one discussion with state and federal agencies;
  • And much more!

Registration Rates:

  • Local Municipalities and Non-Profits: $50
  • For-Profit Organizations: $75

Breakfast and lunch are included. After registering on the website, if you are paying by check, the check should be made out to Syracuse University and mailed to:

Syracuse University
Environmental Finance Center
727 E. Washington St.
Syracuse, NY 13244

Book overnight accommodations at the special conference rate of $134.00 per night for single/double occupancy, by contacting Holiday Valley Mountain Resort & Conference Center, 716-699-2345. When reserving accommodations, be sure to mention the Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center’s Local Leaders Conference special rate, which is available to registrants for the nights of Monday, April 1, and Tuesday, April 2, 2019.

About the Venue: This unique resort, located one hour south of Buffalo in the charming village of Ellicottville, is the perfect mix of business and leisure. Its large meeting rooms are centrally located near lodging, and attendees will be able to access the venue’s various recreational activities in their free time. Learn More


About SU-EFC | The SU-EFC facilitates the development of sustainable and resilient communities throughout US EPA Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and eight tribal nations).

Contact |  Please contact Kathy Forrest at kpforres@syr.edu for payment questions or if you have dietary restrictions. Please contact Meredith Perreault at maperrea@syr.edu for program questions.

This work is supported under a grant by the Rural Utilities Service, United States Department of Agriculture, and by the Smart Management for Small Water Systems program, administered by the Environmental Finance Center Network (EFCN), a university-based organization creating innovative solutions to the difficult how-to-pay issues of environmental protection and improvement.

NYSAR3 Conference News Coverage

SU-EFC staff members helped organize and promote the NYSAR³ 29th Annual Recycling Conference, which was held on November 7 and 8 with a pre-conference workshop on November 6. The issues and ideas discussed at the conference were so impactful that the Times Union decided to cover the event.

Check out the article here:
https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Recycling-s-costs-expected-to-grow-as-demand-for-13371997.php?fbclid=IwAR0iBPoqC0VIYkso4VeMJDVXIPUyDOeFid4XhhkN6OrUiHq1-AvgNC9rB7g

November 8 – Assessing Your Community’s Economic & Climate Resiliency Webinar

In this webinar, we will discuss what financial and social factors local leaders should consider in addition to environmental pressures. We will also discuss what community resiliency is and how to plan for it, and some of the components of resiliency planning that your community may already be doing. Finally, the webinar will discuss some funding options to conduct resiliency planning, or to undertake projects that make your community, services, and facilities more resilient.

When: November 8, 2018, 10:30am – 12:00pm

Speaker: SU-EFC’s Khris Dodson

Register here:
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NYSDEC/bulletins/216f3c7

 

November 15 – NYWEA Asset Management and Utility Finance Specialty Conference

Join us for the 2018 Asset Management and Utility Finance Conference with keynote speaker George Hawkins. Mr. Hawkins, the former CEO of DC Water, has a long history of success in the water industry. He has taught environmental law and policy for the Princeton Environmental Institute since 1999, and he’s a popular speaker and story-teller on water, infrastructure, and environmental issues.

When: November 15, 2018

Where: Hilton Albany, 40 Lodge St, Albany, NY

Presentations to include: 

  • Protecting and Maintaining your Water/Wastewater
  • What Asset Management Plans Can Do for your Community
  • Water/Wastewater System Finances
  • Best Practices in Pursuing Public Financing
  • Water and Sewer Rate Setting
  • Engaging the Public in Decision-Making
  • And more!

Register here:
https://nysawwa.org/view-event/asset-management

Conference Agenda:
https://nysawwa.org/docs/pdfs/1538406414.pdf

November 7-8 – 29th Annual NYS Recycling Conference

Today’s recycling professionals are facing unprecedented challenges, including vanishing markets, rapidly escalating costs and intractable contamination problems. Yet, these challenges can lead to innovative approaches in the sustainable materials management economy of the future. NYSAR3‘s annual conference will delve into how recycling professionals are dealing with the current challenges and exploring new ways forward.

When: November 7-8, 2018 (with a pre-conference workshop on November 6)

Where: Otesaga Resort Hotel, 60 Lake St, Cooperstown, NY

Register here:
https://www.nysar3.org/page/register-now-43.html

Conference agenda:
https://www.nysar3.org/vs-uploads/conference_2018/1539793727_Final%20Conference%20Agenda%202018.pdf

November 6 – NYSARRR Pre-Conference Workshop: Recycling Organics to Reduce Erosion and Build Soils

Use of compost, a recycled product, for controlling erosion and sedimentation can reduce costs, increase the effectiveness of revegetation and promote environmental protection. Compost blankets, berms and socks can reduce soil loss and improve soil moisture retention. If you’re interested in learning how you can implement recycled organics into your erosion control measures, please join us for NYSARRRs pre-conference workshop. The day will feature a virtual tour illustrating the effectiveness of these tools as well as a demonstration of soil infiltration and run-off with Cornell’s Soil Health Truck. The workshop will be led by moderators Jean Bonhotal and Mary Schwarz of the Cornell Waste Management Institute.

When: November 6th, 2018

Where: Otesaga Resort Hotel, 60 Lake St, Cooperstown, NY (Iroquois Room)

Schedule:

  • 11:30am – 12:30pm Registration & Lunch
  • 12:30 – 12:45pm Welcome, Overview, & Introductions
  • 12:45 – 1:15pm Relationship of Soil Health to Erosion Control
  • 1:15 – 1:45pm Soil Truck Demonstration
  • 1:45 – 2:00pm Break
  • 2:00 – 2:30pm Soil Truck Follow-Up Discussion
  • 2:30 – 4:15pm Compost Use: Highway Use and Other Measures

Register for the workshop (and the full conference) here:
https://www.nysar3.org/page/register-now-43.html

Full conference agenda:
https://www.nysar3.org/vs-uploads/conference_2018/1539793727_Final%20Conference%20Agenda%202018.pdf

April 17 – State and Federal Funding, Financing, and Resources for Municipal Infrastructure Roundtable

State and Federal Funding, Financing, and Resources for Municipal Infrastructure Roundtable

When: Tuesday, April 17, 2018, 10:00am-3:00pm

Location: New York State Homes & Community Renewal, Albany, NY 12207

What: The Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center and Capital District Regional Planning Commission help prepare for the upcoming funding process for municipal infrastructure.

Who: Municipal Supervisors and Mayors, Council/Board Members, Town Clerks and Managers, DPW Staff, Town Planners, Engineers, and other interested community leaders were invited to attend.

To view presentations given at a similar event in March, please visit this link.

Presentations: 

Khris Dodson – Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center
Chris Grant – New York State Department of State, Division of Local Government Services
Frank Mace – New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, NY-Sun
Leila Mitchell – New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Water
Audra Nowosielski – New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation
Charlie Philion – New York State Homes and Community Renewal, Office of Community Renewal
David Phillips – New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Water Supply Protection
Robyn Reynolds – Capital District Regional Planning Commission, Clean Energy Communities Program
Brenda Smith – US Department of Agriculture, Rural Development


Sponsored by NYS Homes & Community Renewal, Office of Community Renewal.

Please contact Meredith Perreault at maperrea@syr.edu with program questions.