2021
Community Listening Session

Virtual Community Listening Session

On September 30, 2021 the Task Force held its first public event - A Live Streamed, Virtual Community Listening Session.

Descriptions of the Breakout Sessions and links to the YouTube recordings that were a part of this listening session can be found below:

1. CSC team management, coordination, and communications

- Steve Powers/New Lebanon CSC Chair

Getting started and getting organized is a key challenge for any town signing up for the CSC program. This breakout looks at how towns in Columbia County successfully recruited team members, created a roadmap for their actions, brought in outside expertise, and submitted projects. Panelists will also talk about successful strategies for communications and PR.

2. Partnering across initiatives

- Terence Duvall/Columbia Land Conservancy & Haley Balcanoff/CDRPC

Columbia County already enjoys a wealth of passionate organizations, experts, and highly motivated volunteers. Success in addressing climate change will require partnering and collaborating in new ways, as well as continuously engaging the broader community. This panel will look at some of our existing initiatives and brainstorm new ways to collaborate. Panelists will also talk about strategies for communications and PR.

3. Energy benchmarking and Greenhouse-gas (GHG) Inventories

- Michael O'Hara, EMC Chair & Tara Donadio/CDRPC

One of the first actions many towns get started on is an assessment of energy usage by town buildings. This can serve as a foundation for broader greenhouse-gas (GHG) inventories at the town government and community level. These analyses provide a baseline that help CSC task forces target their initiatives for energy savings and green energy sourcing.

4. Clean Energy Communities (CEC) - potential actions, grants, and community campaigns

- Jill Henck/CDRPC

The CSC program enjoys a strong partnership with its sister Clean Energy Communities (CEC) program. Towns can achieve CSC points and grant funding by pursuing CEC actions. This breakout will introduce the Clean Energy Communities program, including community campaigns for solar, electric vehicles, and heating.

5. Recycling, Repair Cafes, Bike Repair

- Marc Anthonisen, New Lebanon CSC Advisor, Adelia Moore,  New Lebanon CSC , Tistrya Houghtling, New Lebanon Supervisor

Recycling is an easy way to get started is CSC. It is also an area where many volunteers can quickly get involved. This breakout will share activities currently underway by towns around Columbia County in composting, recycling, Repair Cafes, and bike repair.