Board proposes use of $25K Climate Smart grant

The Warwick Village Board at its Oct. 6 meeting discussed a proposal to use a $25,000 state Climate Smart Communities grant to assess village’s climate vulnerability and identify ways for the village to adapt to the changing climate.

According to the proposal, the intent is for the two reports to be incorporated into the village’s existing Climate Action Plan for Government Operations which was adopted in 2023.

During the meeting, Barton and Loguidice (B&L) Executive Vice President Don Fletcher EVP, whose firm provided the proposal, addressed questions and concerns from the board via Zoom. Fletcher confirmed that these studies are the best choice for positioning the village for further funding.

Trustee Thomas McKnight explained that the grant requires the village to provide matching “in-kind” services. Fletcher said this could include administrative work, field data gathering and public engagement. The board also discussed engaging the support of Sustainable Warwick.

Also discussed were areas that could be addressed by the studies, including climate risks to such vulnerable populations as seniors and children, as well as analyzing the potential for land purchase for the protection of the watershed and other vital infrastructure.

The village is aiming to mitigate unsafe driving behavior through art installations on key streets throughout the area. As part of its “Slow Down Warwick” campaign, funded in part by a federal grant as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets for All Initiative, the village will select one to three artists to create pieces that combine art with other engineering solutions to encourage motorists to slow down and be more alert to pedestrians with a goal of determining the effectiveness of temporary artistic interventions in reducing speeding and crashes. Applications are due Oct. 14 and more information is available on the village website.

Though many community members have already begun enjoying the soon-to-open skate park at Veterans Memorial Park, Trustee Mary Collura, urged the public to wait to enjoy this new amenity. She announced that the village will host an opening celebration on Oct. 18, and reminded would-be users that, while the concrete is set on the park’s structures, it is still a construction site. Mayor Michael Newhard added that nails and other scrap materials have been found on site, adding that the rules and regulations have been posted and young children should be supervised.