The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) has announced the availability of approximately $45 million in funding for the NYS Community Development Block Grant http://nysdhcr.gov/Programs/NYS-CDBG/ (NYS CDBG) and New York Main Street http://nysdhcr.gov/Programs/NYMainStreet/ (NYMS) programs.
Brian Lawlor http://nysdhcr.gov/AboutUs/Lawlor.htm, Acting Commissioner of DHCR, said "We have had tremendous success in every region of New York State creating jobs, providing affordable housing and revitalizing downtown business districts with our NYS CDBG and NY Main Street programs. The funds we are making available will help local governments and not-for-profits provide essential services and economic opportunities to the residents of New York State."

For further info including registration and hotel reservations, please visit the web site at http://www.nytowns.org/core/contentmanager/uploads/2010%20Annual%20Meeting.pdf

The costs are $100 per Town Officer/Gov Official/non-Exhibitor before 1/22/10 $135 after 1/22/10. Advance registration is required. 

Governor David A. Paterson, Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand are all potential speakers as well as Co-funding Committee members: Matthew J. Driscoll, President and C.E.O. NYS Environmental Facilities Corp.; Joseph Rabito, President, NYS Office of Community Renewal; David Miller, Community Programs Director, USDA Rural Development;  David Hasso, Director, NYS Environmental Protection and Spill Compensation Fund; Kyle Wilber, Municipal Management Consultant, NYS Department of State; Mark Gundrum, Project Manager, Energy Efficiency Services Group, NYSERDA and James Tierney, Assistant Commissioner of Water, NYS Department  of Environmental Conservation.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will soon issue the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program which will provide funding for small municipalities to implement energy efficiency, renewable energy, efficient transportation systems, material conservation, and energy management personnel projects.  To apply for this program, municipalities will need an energy study/audit upon which to base their application.  It is strongly recommended that municipalities prepare for application by locating an existing energy study/audit or conducting an energy study/audit as soon as possible.  It can take several weeks for a study/audit to be completed.

For municipalities who pay the Systems Benefit Charge (SBC), there are NYSERDA programs that may be used to assist with obtaining an energy study/audit.  The SBC charge is paid by electric distribution customers of Central Hudson, Con Edison, NYSEG, National Grid, Orange and Rockland, and Rochester Gas and Electric.  Information on the following programs is available on NYSERDA's website.

• Energy Audit Program: For facilities with less than $75,000 in annual electric bills, this program can identify effective cost-saving measures for buildings and facilities.
• Flex Tech Program:  Applicants can select from a list of NYSERDA's pre-qualified contractors to perform an energy study.  NYSERDA will provide a 50/50 cost share up to $500,000.
• Technical Assistance Program:  Applicants can select their own contractor to perform an energy study.  NYSERDA will provide a 50/50 cost share up to $500,000 on selected studies over five years.

Municipalities who do not pay the SBC charge will need to contact their electric distribution provider for information on available assistance programs.  NYSERDA's clearinghouse website has links to New York Power Authority (NYPA) and Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) programs which may benefit local government.

For more information on the EECBG, visit the NYSERDA - Economic Recovery and Energy - Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants Home page.

Applications for an additional round of Local Government Efficiency (LGE) Grants for 2009-2010 are now being accepted.  Two municipalities may be eligible for up to $400,000 for projects that reduce local costs, and increase shared services and local service delivery efficiency.

The deadline for grant submission is 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 24, 2010.  Questions about the grant program should be directed to the LGE Program Manager, as indicated in the application instructions.  Applications are available on the Department of State website or by calling (518) 473-3355 or 1-800-367-8488.

$3 million in grant funds available for Water Quality Improvement Projects (WQIP) under the New York City Watershed Program.  Applications are being accepted on a continuous basis.