In-person meetings returning, energy hearing set in Newfield

After using virtual means to ensure public access of municipal meetings when the pandemic made it unsafe for people to gather closely together indoors, Newfield officials are gearing up for in-person options once again.

Starting July 1, according to Supervisor Mike Allinger, Newfield’s meetings will allow in-person attendance.

“Our July public hearing will be the first in-person meeting,” Allinger said. “We’re going to do that as a hybrid meeting, with a way for people to Zoom in and be in attendance if they are not comfortable coming to the meeting in person.”

At the Town Board’s June 10 meeting, members agreed to discontinue Summerton Hill Road and turn it over to the Department of Environmental Conservation. There is no one living on the seasonal road, Allinger said.

“That is something they [the DEC] approached us on,” he said. “It is also part of the town of Caroline, and they had already passed that resolution. It is one of those roads that connects Route 13, and it goes through Connecticut Hill. It’s basically a dirt road, and it would have been seasonal at best. There is no one currently residing on the road, and we had no interest in keeping that on the town’s maintenance list.”

The Newfield Town Board will next meet for a work session from 7 to 9 p.m. June 24. For agendas for the meetings, as well as Zoom links, visit newfieldny.org/government/town-board/agendas.

The biggest item on the Town Board’s upcoming schedule is a public hearing on an amendment to Newfield’s codes scheduled for 7 p.m. July 22.

The amendment would add a local energy provision — NYStretch Energy Code — to Newfield’s existing code. According to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority website, which developed NYStretch, it is a statewide model code for municipalities “to use to meet their energy and climate goals by accelerating the savings obtained through their local building energy codes.”

According to the town website, Newfield’s Planning Board and Climate Task Force are recommending the Town Board adopt the energy code.

Among the benefits highlighted on the website are the town’s eligibility for a $5,000 grant as well as increased opportunities for additional funding through the NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities program and the Climate Smart Communities program.

Newfield adopted a Climate Smart Communities pledge in July 2020, and the town has mandated energy-efficient building standards.

“If adopted, this will be a step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the town,” the town website states. “A scientific consensus has determined greenhouse gas emissions to be a primary cause of global warming, which is predicted to have increasing impacts on our communities. The effects of climate change may endanger our infrastructure, economy, and livelihoods; harm our farms, orchards, and ecological communities; and pose health threats to residents.”

According to information provided by the town of Newfield, the NYStretch Energy Code is more stringent than minimum regulations and improves efficiency by an average of 10% to 12%. That improved efficiency helps reduce energy costs for residents and businesses, who may initially pay more to meet the NYStretch requirements.

According to the town website, the average added cost for new construction of a single-family home in Newfield to meet NYStretch requirements is less than $2,000. The energy savings due to building to that energy code, according to the town, would result in that investment being returned in less than five years. Additionally, there are incentives and tax credits available to offset the higher construction costs.

Among the changes that would result from NYStretch are improved insulation and window performance, air-barrier commissioning and air-leakage testing; reduced interior and exterior lighting power and lighting controls; whole-building energy monitoring; renewable and electric vehicle readiness; and mandatory mechanical ventilation for residential buildings.

According to the town website, Newfield can benefit from adopting and enforcing NYStretch Energy Code with reduced environmental impact, increased occupant comfort and health, and significant energy and utility cost savings for homeowners, tenants, renters and building owners.

In addition to the public hearing, residents may weigh in on the proposed amendment by submitting written comments to Town Clerk Karen Miller Kenerson at 166 Main St., Newfield, NY 14867.

Copies of this proposed local law are on file in the Town Clerk’s Office for public inspection during regular business hours.

For more information about the public hearing, including a link to the draft local law amendment, visit newfieldny.org/nystretch-energy-code-adoption-public-hearing-on-7-22-2021. For more information about NYStretch, visit nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Programs/Energy-Code-Training/NYStretch-Energy-Code-2020.