Will oversee state initiative
Putnam County has appointed a coordinator for its newly adopted Climate Smart Communities initiative.
County Executive MaryEllen Odell named Lauri Taylor, a senior environmental planner for the county, to the position. Taylor is also the district manager for the county’s Soil and Water Conservation District.
If the county achieves the benchmarks required to become certified by the state as a Climate Smart Community, it will become eligible for clean-energy grants.
Odell also assigned the county’s Capital Projects Committee to serve as the program task force. The committee has overseen an energy audit of county buildings, she said, and is preparing to upgrade nearly 20 facilities by adding solar arrays, converting from oil to natural gas, and replacing aging windows and HVAC systems.
