On Monday, I took a day trip down to Lake George for the Adirondack Association of Towns meeting and conference.  The first presentation of the morning was about Adirondack Funding Opportunities.  Dylan Walrath of the DEC gave information about the DEC Smart Growth Grant which is currently open and due by the end of January. The Town of Jay will be submitting at least one, maybe two grant requests which can total up to $300,000.  The last presentation of the day was by Environmental Facilities Corporation, known as EFC.  They presented the various programs they have for funding water and wastewater systems.  We currently have funding through EFC, but are working with them for funding for the wastewater plant upgrades and additional funding for upgrades to the water systems in the Town of Jay.  There were a few other topics discussed which sparked conversation.  This entire day was a great day to network with colleagues and discuss ways to fund current projects and how to attack future projects.

The Town of Jay Comprehensive Plan Update is moving forward, even though we had a setback by our grant application for the Department of State (DOS) Smart Growth Grant not being funded in this round.  We will be meeting with a Revitalization Specialist from DOS to be debriefed on things we could have done better to make our application stronger.  Once we obtain this information, we will be working to make a stronger application for the DEC Smart Growth Grant which is currently open.   There could be a silver lining as the DOS grant funded 90% of the project, where the DEC grant will fund 100% of the cost.

The Christmas celebrations in Au Sable Forks continue this weekend.  The Town of Jay and the Town of Black Brook present “Our Hearts to Yours Christmas” this Saturday, December 9th.  The day will begin with a vendor and craft fair at the Town of Jay Community Center from 10:00am to 2:00pm.  The evening will have entertainment at the Town of Black Brook River Park from 4:30pm to 6:00pm.  See the attached flyer for more information.

Hope you have a great week,
Matt.