Homer Climate Task Force

06/06/2022

Homeowners, renters, and businesses in Homer, NY can sign up for community solar with Nelnet Renewable Energy and save on electricity costs.

05/17/2022

Community solar brings the benefits of solar power to homeowners, renters, and businesses all over the country. You can support your community by going green with the Village of Homer. Just sign up for community solar – and you’ll even come out ahead financially.

Sign up now to save on your electricity costs, support clean energy, help Homer become a more sustainable community – and receive a $100 Amazon.com Gift Card.*
*Restrictions may apply.

For more info click here: https://nelnetenergy.com/solarize-homer/

05/06/2022

Thank you to the Homer Village for allowing students not only a voice but a lead role.

Special thanks to the Homer Green Team / Homer Environmental Club! A big honor!

04/22/2022

Happy Earth Day!!! A day to appreciate, reflect and celebrate this truly beautiful planet we call home. A singular day set aside is a good acknowledgement but our care for the planet must extend past this one day into our daily lives, whatever small step you can make weather that is reducing your use of single use plastics, purchasing renewable energy or just turning off your lights when you leave the room. Every little bit helps. And we are here to help the entire community take steps toward a more sustainable future, so if you have any ideas, questions, or just thoughts please reach out or join the task force.

03/23/2022

Farmers Market Update: APPLICATIONS OPEN TODAY!

We now have vendor applications and handbooks send out for anyone who’s interested. The dates for the markets and times are in the handbook but will also be posted on our website and social media pages.

Some activities planned with Farmers Market may include:
- Vendor Meeting to be decided when
- Opening May 7.
- Open during Amnesty Day May 14
- Wednesday evenings begin June 1
- Concert series June 10- August 10
- Open National Night Out Tuesday August 2
- Open during Brockway Truck Show August 13
- Holiday Markets at Community Building November 19 and December 17

Applications are open for farmers, bakers, and crafters. THERE ARE NO FEES FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2022!

Please email [email protected] for information or call (607) 749-3322.

Thank you!

01/26/2022

Note on Trash / Recycling regulations from Mayor Hal McCabe:

Residents-

I'd like to take a moment to discuss our new fine system for not following our three basic rules for trash and recycling. Those rules are:

1. The green bin is for approved recyclable materials only.
2. All recycling and trash need to be IN the bins and not alongside or outside or on top of the bins.
3. Lids must close on the bins.

I know it is a pain, and there are times when people have an abundance of stuff to get rid of (After Christmas, etc). Folks need to just hold on to things until the next week when it won't all fit in the can.

As China stopped taking our recycling, and the county stopped sorting, and Syracuse Haulers went to the one arm truck... that is the perfect storm for why this is suddenly such a problem here now.

While I know waiting a week to discard some things in order to make sure the lids close is not an ideal solution, our trash pick-up is a great deal for residents.

The cost per resident is VERY low and that is why we can do this as part of your taxes. Other municipalities, in the county charge, or make residents get their own service. (Blue bags, etc)

My friend lives in Cortlandville... her haulers take anything she puts out. She pays $70 a month, and if there is anything not in the can, they charge her extra on her next bill.

Think about that for a second... that is $840 a year without extras... the average village taxes are roughly $1500. So were we to abandon trash service because it became too unwieldy for us to manage due to folks not complying, people taxes might decrease about $200 per year, maybe $250... and then everyone would have to get their own service. This also tends to make the village look shabby because, with all the different haulers, they would come on different days, so every single day there would be garbage cans out.

So we are stuck as trustees... the people who are contaminating all of the recycling loads are costing us all more and more money in tipping fees and fines. We will have to pass that on to residents... so now you have the majority of the people having to pay higher taxes because a handful of people refused to keep trash out of the recycling.

For sure we are open to ideas and suggestions here... and hopefully, I've explained the predicament enough that people will take all of that into account when sending us said ideas and suggestions. We are doing the best we can to keep taxes low and provide as many services to our residents as we can... those two directives are at the forefront of any decision we make as a board.

The other reason, in addition to spillage when tipping, that we need the lids all the way down is the havoc that wind and animals can cause... I've seen a few cats drag bags of trash all over the place. And the wind, well, you know.

There is an actual method to our madness. But we are still open to ideas and improvements.

Below is a photo of last week's "recycling" load. Unacceptable.

05/14/2021

If you want to start composting this is just the program for you! Get a FREE composting starter kit including a 2.5 gallon bucket, composting guide, dos/don'ts magnet, stickers and an Earth Machine Composting bin. We know composting can be daunting and you might not know how to do it properly, but this kit will help you towards the right direction.

Composting is a great way to start reducing your waste. In the United States about 1 pound of food is wasted per person per day! Most of that is still thrown into the landfill where it takes up space and produces methane gas. But when you compost your food waste it breakdown properly, lowering your carbon footprint and creating beautiful nutrient rich soil you can use to grow more food. Composting allows you to create a cycle that keeps on giving instead of creating a linear path leading straight to the landfill where you get nothing good or tasty in return. So get out there and get your starter kit today!

04/29/2021

We just created a remote summer internship program for any college student or recent graduate with some experience in the project area they choose!
If you or anyone you know meets these requirements and would like to join our team for the summer please email our Coordinator, Shenequa Perry and/or the Assistant Coordinator, Andrew Fagerheim. Their emails can be found on the last photo of this post or on our website.

04/22/2021

Happy Earth Day Homer!!💚🌍🌎🌏💚
Today we think about all the things we do everyday to improve the world and our little Village. May we have another year of sustainable growth and progress to make our earth a healthy even more breath taking place to live.

02/24/2021

We've got a meeting tomorrow! We will do a little recap and then dive into some new items. Please message us to get the zoom invite. We would love to see some new faces.
From now through May our meetings will be the third Thursday of the month.

09/26/2020

Press release from Village of Homer Mayor, Hal McCabe. Today the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officially certified that the Village of Homer, NY is a Certified Bronze Climate Smart Community, making it one of only 55 bronze certified communities in New York State (out of a...

09/25/2020

Check out this awesome video collaboration between the Wild Center, DEC, NOAA, and both the Saranac lake and the Village of Homer task forces.

Stories from New York State