Saratoga County is taking the lead for upstate New York, along with Rensselaer County, to explore options to become more environmentally friendly.
Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, along with Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Johnson announced the creation of the Saratoga County Green Committee that will essentially be a think tank for county officials to study green initiatives and look at long term investments.
Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, along with Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Johnson announced the creation of the Saratoga County Green Committee that will essentially be a think tank for county officials to study green initiatives and look at long term investments.
Saratoga County is taking the lead for upstate New York, along with
Rensselaer County, to explore options to become more environmentally
friendly.
Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, along with Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Johnson announced the creation of the Saratoga County Green Committee that will essentially be a think tank for county officials to study green initiatives and look at long term investments.
"We are very excited to learn more about the green movement and how to live sustainably. The public is very motivated and it's hard to get proper information or to do the correct research without the right resources," McDonald said. "That's what this committee is for."
Currently, the committee has four members including Saratoga County Supervisor Matthew Veitch as chairman, along with Mark Luciano, a staff member of McDonald's, Kate Maynard, director of planning for the Town of Wilton, and David DeLozier, publisher of Ecolocal Guide, a publication for sustainable living. The committee will be looking for more members and will hold their first public meeting in March; however, the date has not yet been determined. The goal is to have between seven and 11 members including other supervisors and residents who have an interest or knowledge of environmental issues.
"In today's day and age with falling gas prices and new technology, we need to begin looking toward the future when it comes to energy and our environment," McDonald said. "This is the future. We need to take the lead and find ways to protect the environment, save money and be more energy efficient."
The committee will accept proposals from outside sources and review and research the proposal. If the proposal is applicable, the committee will take the proper steps to implement the proposal. One idea is the use of an electric car.
"I don't know much about an electric car, so why don't we study and experiment with one," McDonald said. "We can see if it's appropriate in our neck of the woods, and if it is, we can move forward and look at a long-term investment for the county."
According to Veitch, another reason to start the committee is to get Saratoga County "ahead of the curve" because New York State is expected to start implementing green initiatives soon.
"We'd rather be prepared and already working on green initiatives than waiting around for the state to mandate the initiatives," he said. "We are going to try to be as green as we can on our own first."
The Saratoga County Green Committee was modeled after the Energy Task Force in Rensselaer County which is also a county in McDonald's senate district.
"I perceive that the counties will be in communication with one another and work together for some of the initiatives. It's time now to convert talk into serious analysis and strategy," McDonald said. "It's time to stop talking and start doing."
Once the committee is up and running, it will take a year or more to review initiatives and study the environmental impacts. If an initiative proves to be successful, it will be implemented as soon as possible, he added.
"We really just want Saratoga County to be as green as it can be," Veitch said. "We are seeing new initiatives coming down the line and we want to hit the ground running and start the research."
Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, along with Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Johnson announced the creation of the Saratoga County Green Committee that will essentially be a think tank for county officials to study green initiatives and look at long term investments.
"We are very excited to learn more about the green movement and how to live sustainably. The public is very motivated and it's hard to get proper information or to do the correct research without the right resources," McDonald said. "That's what this committee is for."
Currently, the committee has four members including Saratoga County Supervisor Matthew Veitch as chairman, along with Mark Luciano, a staff member of McDonald's, Kate Maynard, director of planning for the Town of Wilton, and David DeLozier, publisher of Ecolocal Guide, a publication for sustainable living. The committee will be looking for more members and will hold their first public meeting in March; however, the date has not yet been determined. The goal is to have between seven and 11 members including other supervisors and residents who have an interest or knowledge of environmental issues.
"In today's day and age with falling gas prices and new technology, we need to begin looking toward the future when it comes to energy and our environment," McDonald said. "This is the future. We need to take the lead and find ways to protect the environment, save money and be more energy efficient."
The committee will accept proposals from outside sources and review and research the proposal. If the proposal is applicable, the committee will take the proper steps to implement the proposal. One idea is the use of an electric car.
"I don't know much about an electric car, so why don't we study and experiment with one," McDonald said. "We can see if it's appropriate in our neck of the woods, and if it is, we can move forward and look at a long-term investment for the county."
According to Veitch, another reason to start the committee is to get Saratoga County "ahead of the curve" because New York State is expected to start implementing green initiatives soon.
"We'd rather be prepared and already working on green initiatives than waiting around for the state to mandate the initiatives," he said. "We are going to try to be as green as we can on our own first."
The Saratoga County Green Committee was modeled after the Energy Task Force in Rensselaer County which is also a county in McDonald's senate district.
"I perceive that the counties will be in communication with one another and work together for some of the initiatives. It's time now to convert talk into serious analysis and strategy," McDonald said. "It's time to stop talking and start doing."
Once the committee is up and running, it will take a year or more to review initiatives and study the environmental impacts. If an initiative proves to be successful, it will be implemented as soon as possible, he added.
"We really just want Saratoga County to be as green as it can be," Veitch said. "We are seeing new initiatives coming down the line and we want to hit the ground running and start the research."
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