Village of Owego Consulting Services
My approach: Climate resilience is a wicked problem for which there is no one solution or approach. My collaborative and inclusive approach for the Village of Owego includes casting the widest net possible since this problem is way too big to leave out anyone or any organization willing to help. By engaging the community, village and county governments, circuit riders, FEMA, DEC, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and private partnerships, I bring many voices and perspectives to bear on Owego's resilience strategy.
Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Grant
Climate Smart Communities Task Force Chair
CRS & National Flood Insurance Program
The Village of Owego's Climate Smart Communities grant is a public/private partnership. J. Nucci Consulting, LLC and Barton & Loguidice will assist the Village in pursuing the Community Rating System.
Another mission of this grant is to crosswalk the Climate Smart Communities, Clean Energy Communities, and Community Rating System programs to maximize benefits from program overlaps.
CRS & National Flood Insurance Program
Climate Smart Communities Task Force Chair
CRS & National Flood Insurance Program
The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). CRS communities benefit from reduced NFIP costs.
Climate Smart Communities Task Force Chair
Climate Smart Communities Task Force Chair
Climate Smart Communities Task Force Chair
I chair the Village's CSC Task Force. The task force is engaged in activities beyond the CRS scope funded via the Department of Environmental Conservation. In close collaboration with the Village's CSC coordinator from the Southern Tier 8 Regional Board, the Village submitted for bronze certification in April 2024; less than 2 years after it adopted the CSC pledge. This is quite an accomplishment for an underserved community!
The CSC task force includes a variety of local and regional stakeholders with expertise in climate science, planning, floodplain management, energy efficiency, and local government operations.
Clean Energy Communities
United States Army Corps of Engineers
Climate Smart Communities Task Force Chair
Members of the CSC Task Force and the Village Board of Trustees are teaming on a committee to lead Clean Energy Community (CEC) program activities for the Village. In close collaboration with the Village's Clean Energy Communities Coordinator from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County, this CEC committee is working on a grant that will receive an 50% additional funding as a result of Owego's disadvantaged status. CEC actions completed to enable this funding include a community solar contract, benchmarking studies, utilizing heat pumps in municipal buildings, and a fleet inventory, among other actions.
CSC bronze certification will qualify the Village for a higher level of CEC funding. This is part of the CSC/CEC/CRS crosswalk strategy.
United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
I led the effort to pursue and submit a USACE grant proposal on behalf of the Village for a planning-level study that includes stormwater and floodproofing analyses. The study includes stormwater mapping, modeling, and developing plans for flood risk management measures the village could take to mitigate flooding. The floodproofing analysis will evaluate elevation, acquisition, dry floodproofing, and wet floodproofing for 15 representative village buildings. This $307,000 project is fully funded by the Planning Assistance to States (PAS) program due to the Village’s federally-declared disadvantaged status. The Section 8119 Amendment of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 waives the PAS program match for economically disadvantaged communities. The Village of Owego is the first municipality in the country to receive 100% PAS project funding under this 2022 amendment.
Recycling
United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The CSC task force joined forces with Village officials, the Tioga County Sustainability Division, and Owego high school students from the Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter to start recycling bottles and cans at the annual Strawberry Festival in 2023. Since then, other County events have implemented recycling and the County now has 40 bins in its Borrow a Bin program to lend out to events. This is a win-win-win situation: young people engage in the community, recyclables and returnables don't end up in the landfill, and worthwhile organizations raise money. Click here for more information on Tioga County's Borrow-A-Bin program.
Community Engagement
Elevation Documentary
Community Engagement
In collaboration with the Southern Tier 8 Regional Board, the CSC Task Force had a booth at the 2023 Strawberry Festival. The day focused on generating public awareness of Climate Smart Communities efforts, conducting a SWOT analysis, and surveying the community for input to the hazard mitigation and climate adaptation plans.
FEMA HMGP Awards
Elevation Documentary
Community Engagement
When I learned that HMGP funding would be 90% in 2022, I set up meetings with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) and the Village to discuss potential applications. Grants for generators to back-up water and sewage treatment and a home elevation were funded.
Elevation Documentary
Elevation Documentary
Elevation Documentary
I assembled a team to create a documentary of the elevation of this 1802 Greek Revival home in Owego in summer 2024. The elevation is funded by a FEMA HMGP grant. This documentary will include the story of the Village of Owego's approach to resilience.
Owego CRS Task Force members
