During the November 12 meeting of the Marlborough Town Board, the board and meeting attendees listened to an overview of New York’s Climate Smart Resiliency Planning tool for municipalities. The Board also got an update on an initiative to refurbish a Civil War-era cemetery in town.

 

The Climate Smart Resiliency Planning tool was originally developed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and is now in use by the New York State Climate Smart Communities program. The spreadsheet-based program includes tools for climate resiliency planning, disaster preparedness, and hazard mitigation.

 

“This project was funded by the Hudson Estuary Waterside resiliency project in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension, the New York Water Resources Institute, and the Hudson River Estuary Program,” noted Anna Harrod-McGrew, the natural resources and environment educator for the Ulster County branch of the Cornell Cooperative Extension. “This is one of the projects we offer but we’re also working with the town of Marborough on a disaster-preparedness web page and a series of social posts that’ll go along with that.”

 

Through the Climate Smart Communities Program, municipalities can earn points for actions they take to, for example, reduce their carbon footprint. Those points in turn earn those communities a bronze, silver, or gold-level certification. The program is still relatively new, so it has not awarded any communities “gold” status yet. More critically, the planning tool helps municipal decision makers identify any gaps in their policies and practices – and the actions they can take to fill in those gaps.

 

“That allows you to be set up for better funding opportunities, [including] grants that only certified climate smart communities can even apply to,” said Harrold-McGrew. She noted that Marlborough has exhibited the following strengths regarding the Climate Smart program:

 

• It has adopted the climate-smart communities pledge with the intention of achieving bronze certification.

 

• The town is an active participant in the current update to Ulster County’s hazard-mitigation program, which is targeted for completion in early 2025.

 

• The town has an active website capable of sharing documents, links, and plans with the public. It is run by the town’s Conservation Advisory Committee (CAC) and is linked on the overall Town of Marlborough homepage.

 

• The town has an updated comprehensive plan that was done within the last 10 years, which most towns lack, and within that a local watershed-revitalization program.

 

“We’re currently working on pledge element nine, climate change education and engagement,” said Harrold-McGrew. She added that the town is “well on its way” to attaining bronze certification. 

 

The planning tool also looks at the various risks that towns face regarding climate and hazards. Flooding is not a major concern for Marlborough, whereas issues with excessive heat and fire have been of late. “It’s been really beneficial to have plans in place of what to tell residents during extreme heat, in case of power outages, or just where people can go if they don’t have access to air conditioning,” said Harrold-McGrew. She noted that Deputy Town Supervisor Gael Appler has been working with the Red Cross to designate the town’s new Community Center as an emergency-evacuation site.

 

The Civil War cemetery is located at the corner of Route 9W and Willow Tree Road in Milton. The refurbishment project was spearheaded by Tom Schroeder, past commander of Marlboro American Legion Post 124. “Tom is quite the guy – he’s 76 years old – and he brought his buddy with him to help out who’s 85 years old, Andy Gusso,” said Councilman Dave Zambito. “I had the honor of meeting both gentlemen up at the cemetery, resetting a lot of headstones and cleaning up.

 

Zambito noted that the headstones at the Civil War cemetery provide a fascinating look into the past, as they all date to the Civil War period and even before that – with some headstones placed by Milton’s original Quaker settlers.  “If it wasn’t for Tom spearheading this, I don’t think it would have gotten done, so I’d like to commend him for that,” Zambito said.

 

Among other business, the Town Board approved the following motions and resolutions:

 

• It moved to waive fees for use of the Community Center for a fundraiser scheduled for January 17, 2025, to be held by Marlborough High School students.

 

• It also waived fees for the Community Center’s use by local Cub Scouts Pack 73 on Saturday, February 8 for its Blue and Gold Ceremony.

 

• A resolution to authorize Supervisor Scott Corcoran to sign a bargaining agreement with United Federation of Police Officers.

 

• A resolution to authorize the release of site improvement bonds, which were issued for the Bayside Drive project at the Hudson West apartments.

 

• A resolution to amend the Town of Marlborough Employee Handbook