Monroe County has awarded more than $100,000 to 10 communities through its first round of Community Climate Action Fund grants.
The grants will be used for nine projects ranging from expanding trails and planting trees to installing electric vehicle chargers and transitioning parks maintenance operations to electric-powered equipment. All of the grants are conditioned on local matching funds.
County lawmakers approved and created the fund earlier this year to help further the second phase of its Climate Action Plan. The first phase focused on reducing the county's greenhouse gas emissions, while this phase is focused on cutting emissions from county homes, businesses, and organizations.
Here's who the grants went to and what they are using the money for:
- Brighton: $6,500 toward expanding its community tree nursery and the associated Tree Ambassador program.
- Chili: $5,300 toward transitioning from the use of fossil-fuel-powered equipment for parks maintenance to electric equipment, which will reduce carbon emissions and noise.
- Gates: $10,000 toward a stormwater and flood resilience study to address recurring flooding issues affecting residential neighborhoods, roads, and "community assets."
- Greece and the city of Rochester: $30,000 to partner on a feasibility and planning study to extend the state Route 390 multi-use trail from its end at Ridgeway Avenue and Latona Road in Greece to the Erie Canal and Empire State Trail in the city.
- Irondequoit: $10,000 toward the installation of a new electric vehicle charger at the town's McAvoy Park.
- Penfield: $10,000 toward the installation of dual port electric vehicle chargers at the Clark House on Clark Road, which will also include one standard spot and one ADA-compliant spot.
- Perinton: $10,000 toward the conversion of seven to eight acres of maintained turf at the Garnsey Arboretum into a low-mow native grassland with birdwatching trails.
- Pittsford: $10,000 toward planting native trees and establishing a new pollinator garden in the town.
- Hilton: $10,000 toward the replacement of windows at the village's community center with energy-efficient ones that are in line with historic preservation standards.
