While not directly related to brownfields and certainly not southern, Waterford, NY city councilman, Jeffrey M. Smith, is thinking about the big picture when it comes to maximizing city resources, which is in the spirit of brownfield redevelopment. For instance, the Watertown (NY) Daily Times (8/2, Brauchle) reported, "Mr. Smith has pushed an agenda on the council that includes adding green energy to as many municipal projects as will allow it. Solar panels, he said, could be added to the municipal arena roof or the capped landfill (i.e., brownfield renewable energy option), and small turbines could be installed in the Black River at the intake pipe at the water treatment plant and outflow pipe at the sewage treatment plant."
The Watertown (NY) Daily Times further reported, "Most adages about north country weather usually involve snow and sleet, and not, say, sunglasses or air conditioning. Jeffrey M. Smith, however, is trying to use of every minute of sunlight beaming on his house. The Keyes Avenue resident, and city councilman, is installing a solar panel system capable of producing five kilowatts per hour on the roof of his back porch and on his detached garage. Mr. Smith said the total project cost, about $20,000, was lowered by a number of grants." Smith stated that his work "will be complete once an electrician hooks the panels to a new utility meter being installed by National Grid." He also stated, "Since taking office, I've been a proponent of alternative energies...I'm not going to spend taxpayers' money any differently than I'd spend them at my own house." He further plans to install solar panels at his place of work.
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