Rye, NY – Assemblyman Steve Otis, along with co-sponsors, hosted a full audience comprised of local officials, city managers, engineers, planners and environmental advocates at a Green Infrastructure Grant Workshop held on Friday, May 3, at the Jay Heritage Center in Rye.

Panelists included officials of the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) and the City of Yonkers, Department of Planning and Development. The workshop was co-sponsored by the Jay Heritage Center, the Westchester Municipal Officers Association, Sustainable Westchester, Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, Save the Sound and the State Assembly Westchester Delegation.

Assemblyman Otis provided an overview of state funding sources available to municipalities for innovative green clean water infrastructure projects as well as an update of New York’s main water grant program, the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) that Otis helped create during the 2015-16 state budget. To date WIIA has provided over $750 million in grants statewide with almost $3 billion in grants projected through 2024.

EFC senior staff members from the Integrated Solutions Construction grants (ISC) and the Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP), provided information on two clean water infrastructure programs offered to local governments for water infrastructure design and technology. The ISC program has $8 million in grants available. Applications are due June 28th. An additional $15 million is available under the GIGP, with applications being accepted through the Regional Economic Development Councils’ Consolidated Funding Application (CFA). GIGP applications are due July 26.

Additional information and the online grant application are available on the EFC website at https://www.efc.ny.gov/grant-programs.

Grant managers from the City of Yonkers Department of Planning and Development shared details of the Saw Mill River day lighting project that resulted in the creation of a natural habitat, job creation and economic revitalization of downtown Yonkers.

Assemblyman Otis stated, “We had a great turnout at the workshop where our focus was to bring more clean water grant dollars to Westchester municipalities. The Governor and the Legislature have demonstrated significant commitment to clean water with an additional $500 million added this year towards water quality programs in the state budget, the first installment of a new five-year, $2.5 billion program to address water quality issues proposed by the Governor. It is my hope that many Westchester communities will take advantage of these innovative green infrastructure grant programs to improve water quality."