Efficiency studies, biking promotion among accomplishments while under town’s auspices
Though it touts a new membership and a new relationship with the town, the Eastchester Environmental Committee (EEC) is not a new idea. According to Peter McCartt, chair of the current manifestation of the committee, several previous environmental committees were operated by town residents over many years.

Former Eastchester Councilwoman Christine Doody Doherty (D) said that town records indicate two previous environmental committees were appointed by the Town Board, one in the 1970s and the other in the late 1980s, but both, appear to have fizzled out.

However, the current environmental committee, the most recent to be officially appointed by the town, has an energy that could signal a partnership with the town that is, to use one of the committee’s buzzwords, sustainable.

Begun with the help of Councilman Fred Salanitro (R) during his first year on the board in 2008, the environmental committee focused on recycling and an inaugural Eastchester Green Day, while contemplating becoming a town entity.

Through the first half of 2009, Doody Doherty,  having replaced Salanitro on the town board, along with McCartt and others, continued to work toward an official status that would allow the committee to advise the town on environmental issues.

On June 13, 2009, the group held its second annual Green Day, which McCartt said raised around $1,000 for the organization without significant effort but was primarily a way to advertise the committee to town residents, in preparation for its official status with the town.

Then, at the Town Board’s July 14, 2009 meeting, the board adopted a resolution to officially establish the EEC, naming nine members to the committee and naming then-Acting Chair McCartt the chair of the town-endorsed entity.

Interest in the new committee was clear from the beginning, when around 20 people applied for the nine available positions.

Eastchester Supervisor Anthony Colavita (R) hailed the interest as yet another example of a surge of volunteerism in the town. “Heavens yes!” he responded, to the question of whether the committee demonstrated that volunteerism is on the rise. “There were far more applications than positions on this board and not just this board.”

Clearly, that volunteer spirit has not waned over the past several months, as the EEC has become one of the more active committees in the town.

The current committee meets the first Thursday of every month and has already set in motion a number of initiatives.

“They’ve been very productive,” said Colavita, “and we look forward to working hand-in-hand with them on many of the issues that will be discussed [by the town] in the future.”
Debora Fillis Ryba, a committee member who chairs the group’s municipal subcommittee, said that the two most important current efforts of the committee are its work, with the help of ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives), to examine sustainability issues in Eastchester and its endeavors to educate residents about the same issues that are impacting the town as a whole. As a part of membership in ICLEI, organizations receive software that helps them analyze environmental issues affecting their communities.

“Once the town officially endorsed the committee, it became apparent that we should work with ICLEI,” she said. “It’s important that we’re involved in similar environmental initiatives as other communities in Westchester.”

Thus far the committee has conducted research on introducing energy-saving LED  street lights, hybrid vehicles and an energy-saving film that could be used to cover windows on town-owned properties. The environmental committee has also conducted research for the town on the ramifications of establishing a leaf-blower ordinance in Eastchester, a topic of discussion that is still ongoing.

Salanitro who returned to the board in January and currently serves as liaison to the environmental committee, is particularly interested in the LED study. “It’s something that I think would be great for the town primarily because it could save us a whole lot of money,” he said.

Salanitro hopes that grant money may become available that would allow the town to consider the transition, which has high initial cost but saves money over time, when the economy improves.

The committee has also begun work to promote bicycle use. With money the group collected, the committee plans to purchase bike racks to be placed on town properties. Also in the works is the painting of diagrams called “sharrows” (an abbreviated form of “share the road”).

McCartt emphasized that sharrows are not bike lanes or bike paths but simply serve as reminders about cyclists’ role in the town. “It establishes a rapport between cyclists and motorists,” he said. The first sharrows will be placed on California Road, with more likely to follow.

John Todaro, chair of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advocacy environmental sub-committee, briefly discussed his goal for the future of biking in the town. “We’re just trying to make it more popular and safer and more convenient [for residents] to use their bicycles around town.”

Part of the methodology the environmental committee is using to encourage biking is a partnership with local businesses. Having established a fairly straightforward Bike Week in the town this past fall, the committee hopes to repeat the venture this year, adding a series of new incentives to encourage a relationship between bikers and local businesses.

The EEC also seeks to reach out to the local commerce community through a program called Green Medallion Awards, which will recognize local businesses that demonstrate positive environmental practices. McCartt said the committee is currently taking nominations for the awards, which will be announced this fall.

And, of course, no environmental committee would be complete without cleanup days. In addition to participating in regular outdoor cleanups organized by groups like the Bronx River Conservancy, the EEC plans to continue conducting its own annual cleanups.

The next cleanup, at the Girl Scout cabin property at the corner of Highland Avenue and Leary Street, is scheduled for Sunday, May 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In all of the activities of the committee, McCartt said, his goal is to help Eastchester save money rather than become another financial burden on the town.

“One of my personal mandates is never to cost the town any money,” he said. “There are ways to be green and save money.”