New York State officials have announced a new outreach initiative to help small, rural, and disadvantaged communities connect with experts who can help them undertake critical water infrastructure projects.
The new initiative comes from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC), which has assembled Community Assistance Teams to provide on-site or virtual consultations to help communities jump start planning, submit funding applications, and see projects through to completion.
"Too many critical water systems have been neglected to a state of disrepair because communities don't have the staffing, resources, or expertise to undertake these vital projects, but that stops today," said state Governor Kathy Hochul. "With the $500 million allocated for clean water infrastructure in this year's executive budget, my administration will continue to remove barriers preventing communities from getting the financial assistance they need to be able to access clean water for generations to come."
The EFC, a public benefit corporation that provides low-cost capital and grants for water infrastructure improvement, is working closely with the Departments of Environmental Conservation and Health to deploy these Community Assistance Teams to conduct targeted outreach to small, rural, and disadvantaged communities.
This collaboration includes hosting information events, identifying communities that have regulated facilities and have not used EFC for funding in several years, and soliciting requests for assistance directly from municipalities. Teams will provide one-on-one assistance to communities planning to upgrade their existing water infrastructure and to those communities working to create new water and sewer districts.
Outreach events are currently scheduled in the Mohawk Valley, North Country and Southern Tier regions. Additional events will be announced on EFC's website, Communities can also sign up to receive emails from EFC.
The following outreach events have been scheduled:
Mohawk Valley: Tuesday, Feb. 28, 1-3 p.m., Herkimer College, Robert McLaughlin College Center, 100 Reservoir Road, Herkimer, NY 13350. Register for the Mohawk Valley event via email with name, community and contact information to [email protected] or register via Zoom.
North Country: Tuesday, March 14, 12:30-3 p.m., Essex County Offices, Supervisors Board Room, 7551 Court St., Elizabethtown, NY 12932. Register online for the North Country event.
Southern Tier: April 6, Southern Tier Central Regional Leadership Conference, Corning Community College, 1 Academic Drive, Corning NY 14830. Register online for the Southern Tier event.
Community Assistance Teams are also available by request to meet with municipal officials in person or virtually. Municipalities can connect with EFC at https://efc.ny.gov/CAT to schedule a consultation with a Community Assistance Team.
