The Cornwall Town Board unanimously adopted the New York State Climate Smart Communities pledge at its meeting on August 20.

That helps set the town up to receive more grants from the state to address how to make the community a more energy efficient entity.

The resolution reads, in part: “Whereas the Town of Cornwall believes that climate change poses a real and increasing threat to the environment and is primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels, and whereas the effects of climate change pose health threats to the town’s residents; and whereas taking appropriate action in response to climate changes can provide the town with opportunities to save money, foster energy independence, and promote secure community, vibrant innovation economies, and resilient infrastructure … now therefore it is hereby resolved that the Town of Cornwall adopted the New York State Climate Smart Communities pledge.”

In doing so, they acknowledged the ten elements of the pledge: Building a climate-smart community; Inventory emissions, set goals and plan for climate action; Decrease energy use; Shift to clean renewable energy; Use climate-smart materials management; Implement Climate-smart land use; Enhance community resilience to climate change; Support a green innovation economy; Inform and inspire the public; and Engage in an evolving process of climate action.

In other matters from the meeting, it took a while, but the Town of Cornwall now has an official employee handbook.

“The Town Board, our labor counsel, the employee associations have all looked at the draft we were working on for a long time,” Supervisor Josh Wojehowski said at the meeting, “and I think it is important to get it in place.”

The other board members did too – the document was unanimously approved by the board. A copy was to immediately be given to each employee to read through and acknowledge receipt, and it was to be put on the town website (cornwallny.gov).

The approximate 60-page document covers everything from what determines part-time versus full-time to Civil Service requirements to holiday and vacation time to forms for reporting disputes to employee insurance.

Also:

• The board set a hearing for Tuesday, Sept. 17 for The Dark Room owner James Ferrara’s request to have an off-street parking requirement removed from the business.
• A municipal parking lot was formally created at 1 Clinton St. – on the right side of the building as it is looked at (the left side is for emergency vehicles and first responders). Signage was to be posted regarding the hours of use.
• At that same location, a two-year contract for Independent Living to have an office in the building (Cornwall’s EMS building) was okayed. It is not for client use by Independent Living, just for the employees of the mental health program. The town will be paid $1000 monthly in rent.
• The town will issue RFPs (request for proposals) for the playground at Town Hall. Currently, the supervisor said, “it is falling apart”.
• Wojehowski said that he and Cornwall-on-Hudson Mayor James Gagliano would soon be negotiating a new contract with New Windsor EMS. The supervisor called the ambulance response in Cornwall “the best”.