The Town Board will conduct interviews with candidates who are interested in applying for the position of energy conservation coordinator beginning Tuesday, March 25^th. If you are interested in applying for the position please send a cover letter and bio to townboard@greenburghny.com and to Townclerk@greenburghny.com. The budget for the office: $28,093 for the part time stipend (minimum of 16 hours a week). $1700 for office expenses. No benefits since this position is contractual. The following is a summary of the responsibilities of the office.

PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor

 

ENERGY CONSERVATION COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Prepared by Nicola Coddington, March 2008

 

Note: This documents the types of activities that have been conducted over the past five years, as of March 2008. Not all activities were done at the same time. The role has evolved, and there has been a periodic reprioritization as to what can realistically be accomplished in an average of 16 hours per week

 

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION

Community outreach and education to promote energy conservation/efficiency, renewable energy, global warming action.

Areas covered: buildings, transportation, products, purchasing

Target audiences: Residential/individual, business/commercial, school

 

Methods of outreach/education:

• Regularly maintain literature displays in public (usually Town) buildings: e.g. Town Hall lobby and Building Dept area; library (when they move back into the completed building); other potential sites include TDYCC, Greenburgh Nature Center, Multipurpose Center at Anthony Veteran Park.
• Set up targeted literature displays for particular time-limited events. Example: during the last week of months when property taxes are due at Greenburgh Town Hall, set up display on Tax counter featuring energy programs for homes and multifamily buildings.
• Table at public locations and events, with literature, CFL bulb display, giveaways, etc., either invited or self-initiated. Examples: library, street fairs, farmer’s markets, Earth Day events at school or TDY community center, etc. Participation is expected at annual Celebrate Greenburgh Day.
• Make presentations to community groups, either on request or self-initiated. Examples: Rotary Club, Lions Club, homeowners associations, Garden Club, employees of an organization (including Town departments), Greenburgh Housing Authority tenants, library, etc. May include presentations at Town Board meetings since they are televised.
• Organize, publicize, and execute (alone or partnering with other organizations such as NYSERDA, DOE, Building & Realty Institute, MetroPool, Sierra Club, Westchester County departments, etc.) events for targeted audiences or the general public. Examples:
  • Green Living Fair
  • Seminar for multifamily building owners/managers
  • Seminar for business owners
  • Seminar on solar energy for homeowners, architects, etc.
  • Recruitment seminar for Home Performance contractors
  • Transportation day (promoting ridesharing and public transportation)
  • Energy film festival
• Maintain web page on Town website, providing information resources. Send updated web pages to Joe Lucasey for posting. Periodically check links for accuracy (can ask a student intern to do this). Events should be posted on web page.
• Produce “The Energy Show,” a half-hour show on Greenburgh public access cable TV (one segment runs for a month on channels 75 and 76). Plan, select/research topics, invite guests or select videos, schedule taping, prepare guest questions, tape, review rough tape for editing, send copy of completed tape or DVD to guest if appropriate (George Malone and/or Kevin Ridley do the actual camera work and editing).
• Send out emails to particular target audiences (own lists), such as architects, teachers, builders/contractors, etc., regarding items or events of interest (typically training events).
• Send out emails to the general Greenburgh audience (Town e-list).
• Plan and promote specific campaigns/initiatives, such as “Change a Light” or “Green Your Miles.”
• Respond to individual inquiries, either by email, phone, or in person (in office).
• Respond to inquiries from new Town residents. Energy Conservation Coordinator services have been promoted in the letter that every new homeowner in the Town receives from the Supervisor, and names of new homeowners forwarded. (This was done in the past but not recently.)
• Review and update the Energy Conservation Coordinator listing that is published in the semiannual Greenburgh Guide.
• Maintain adequate supply of literature by periodically ordering from sources (NYSERDA, Con Edison, MetroPool, NYS Consumer Protection Board, etc.), making sure each brochure or flier is the latest version available; keep an eye out for new literature or particular promotions; create own literature for custom purposes.
• Work with the Greenburgh library to update and promote their selection of books, videos, and other resources on these topics. Recommend new titles for purchase. Produce and regularly update a flier that lists these resources. Publicize new acquisitions. (This is on hiatus until the library moves into its new building and its collection come out of storage.) These things could be done with the village libraries too, as time and their staff interest permit.
• Work with the media to obtain publicity for initiatives, events, and achievements. Example: story on local solar homes in conjunction with the Green Living Fair.
• Organize ways to recognize individuals or organizations that have “gone green.” Example: certificate and ceremony to recognize the first group of builders to complete Energy Star homes under the Town law.
• Research social marketing techniques to improve effectiveness of outreach.

 

POLICY DEVELOPMENT

Research, develop, and present recommendations to Town Board on possible policy initiatives. May be done in response to suggestions from members of public or Town administration. Research includes conducting discussions with stakeholders and other involved parties or departments; Internet or phone research on resources and examples/case studies from other municipalities or organizations. Past examples: Energy Star purchasing; green building standards for commercial new construction.

Respond to inquiries from other municipalities, organizations, and the media regarding Town policies or initiatives. Example: other municipalities seeking to pass an Energy Star law.

When appropriate, recommend policy advocacy or support for higher level (e.g. County or State) initiatives. Example: Town signing on to letter supporting net metering legislation.

 

ICLEI

Serve as Town “staff” liaison to ICLEI/Local Governments for Sustainability (our membership requires one staff and one elected official liaison—Diana Jeuttner has been serving as the latter), maintaining communications with ICLEI. Manage ICLEI’s Cities for Climate Protection process, which includes five Milestones. We are still on Milestone 1, which is to conduct a greenhouse gas emissions baseline inventory; this involves collecting data and entering it in the CCP software program (or finding an intern to do it). Understand ICLEI tools and resources and be able to use them in implementing the process and communicate them to Town staff as needed. Monitor and process annual ICLEI membership bill. Network with other ICLEI members to research best practices.

 

 

ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN TOWN FACILITIES

 

Existing Town Buildings and Facilities

Work with Town staff to improve energy performance and greenhouse gas impact of Town-owned facilities and operations, including buildings, street lights, vehicles, etc. Ideally will result in cost savings. May involve searching for grants or other funding opportunities.

Coordinate energy audits and retrofit projects as appropriate. So far we have had the New York Power Authority (NYPA) conduct “walk-through” energy audits on all our buildings, and a detailed energy audit on Town Hall which resulted in the 2006 retrofit with energy-efficient lighting and occupancy sensors. Working with the Commissioner of Public Works, future energy audits should be scheduled either with NYPA or with an energy performance contracting company. When retrofit project is completed, help create educational signage and publicity to communicate the energy efficiency measures and benefits to the public.

Make use of EPA tools and online training seminars on energy-efficient operations, and promote training opportunities, whether web-based or events, to relevant staff, for example in energy-efficient building operation. Example: www.energystar.gov, Building Portfolio Manager.

In addition to facilities directly owned and operated with the Town, work with the management and staff of associated entities such as the Housing Authority and the Greenburgh Nature Center to connect them with the resources and information to improve the energy performance of their buildings.

Monitor Town’s participation in Energy Curtailment Specialists’ demand response/energy curtailment program; if appropriate, publicize as a model.

 

 

New Construction of Town Buildings

For new construction of buildings owned by the Town or associated entities, advocate for energy efficiency and green construction methods, and connect decision-makers with the information and resources available. When building construction is completed, help create educational signage and publicity to communicate the green building features and benefits to the public. Example: Greenburgh Library.

 

RENEWABLE ENERGY IN TOWN FACILITIES

Monitor photovoltaic (PV) system at Town Hall. Submit quarterly reports to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as part of fulfilling the requirements of their grant. Monitor PV system performance and conduct maintenance or troubleshooting (with building staff) as necessary. Refresh screen of monitor in lobby on a daily basis if possible (otherwise it remains on screensaver), and make sure data acquisition system (DAS) and computer are functioning properly. Maintain and improve solar information display in lobby, in order to educate the public on solar energy.

 

POLICIES/CAMPAIGNS WITH TOWN EMPLOYEES

Promote Town’s “Green Your Miles” campaign with employees, encouraging them to carpool. Explore ways to reward or recognize them, including establishment of dedicated parking spaces for carpoolers.

 

 

NEW PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION: RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL

 

Residential New Construction

As needed, coordinate with the Building Department to make sure information on the Town’s Energy Star homes law is up to date and available to building permit applicants; work with Building Department and the HERS energy rater community to resolve any issues in application of the law. When needed, respond to inquiries from builders or homeowners about the law and information resources. In Building Department lobby area, maintain display of relevant brochures, e.g. Energy Star Homes.

 

Commercial New Construction

As (informally) required as part of the Town’s Planning Board application process, meet with applicants for new commercial construction to discuss opportunities for energy conservation (and other green building measures) in their projects. Offer them information regarding NYSERDA’s programs and resources for technical assistance and funding for new construction and green building, as well as USGBC’s resources on LEED construction. Review their memo detailing what measures they propose, and forward it to the Acting Commissioner of Planning. (This procedure may well change when new Town green building standards are implemented.)

 

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