'New opportunities for advancing Warwick's environmental leadership'

The Town of Warwick has an outstanding environmental record. Our open spaces and preserved farmlands put us at the forefront of conservation in Orange County. We’ve also taken many other environmentally friendly actions, such as installing LED streetlights and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and adopting forward-looking zoning laws for solar panels and community solar farms.

But we could be doing more, especially in light of N.Y.'s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which will offer many incentives for advancing environmental protections by conserving nature and pursuing innovative solutions.

When I'm elected to the Warwick Town Board, here is a sample of the environmental initiatives I will promote:

● Upgrade the Town's fleet to EVs; with incentives from NY and low operating and maintenance costs, EVs are good for the environment and good for the budget.

● Assist low-income residents of Warwick with accessing two helpful NY programs.

● Solar-for-All, which shares the benefits of community solar farms to offset electricity bills.

● EmPower, which provides energy audits along with home insulation and sealing work to residents who rely on HEAP during the winter, thereby reducing heating costs while increasing the comfort of the home.

● Adopt green building codes that decrease operating costs by reducing heat loss and electricity usage.

● Push for a resource recovery center that would help businesses and residents reduce their waste streams while simultaneously providing low-cost resources to businesses and residents.

● Establish and maintain a greenhouse gas inventory for all Town buildings and vehicles, as part of the Climate Smart Communities program, so we have a clear assessment of where to improve and how to get NY grants to assist in these improvements.

I will also keep an open mind and an open door to learn from citizens about best practices for protecting the environment.

Pat McMillan

Candidate for Warwick Town Council