March 30, 2009

County Executive Andy Spano today announced that work has already begun to pump millions of stimulus dollars into the local economy for job training, education and employment programs as well as toward energy-saving and infrastructure projects all aimed at creating jobs. 

“"Westchester County is focused on getting people back to work," said Spano. "We already have approvals for millions of dollars in projects and we are working to locate the source of other stimulus money, apply for these dollars and get projects on track as quickly as possible. These projects will create jobs, save energy and save tax dollars as well.’’ Read about these other stimulus funding projects: Stimulus Hits County Federal Medicaid Money; Funds for LI Sound Work.

Congresswoman Nita Lowey said, "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is the engine that will drive our region’s economic recovery. In addition to critical tax relief for working and middle-class New Yorkers, the stimulus allows our county to make targeted and strategic investments in economic development initiatives. I am pleased that federal funding will support worthy projects like job training and energy efficiency initiatives."

Last week, the Westchester/Putnam Workforce Investment Board, which Spano oversees, approved a plan to spend $2.7 million in stimulus funding from the state Labor Department on youth summer employment and career training, help for adult and dislocated workers and job training in growth fields like energy and health care. Businesses would receive 100 percent funding to hire more than 250 young people from low-income families this summer as well as 50 percent of the cost of on-the-job training for up to 100 permanent workers. And 130 workers would be placed into training programs for high demand, high paying jobs such as nurses, radiological technicians, energy auditors, construction apprentices and network technicians.

The county will get $4.5 million from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program coming directly from the federal government to conduct energy saving projects involving recycling, wind and solar energy. 

Westchester has also applied to the state for $41.4 million in stimulus money to undertake 16 other energy-saving projects that could create more than 1,700 jobs. These range from replacing lighting, windows and obsolete boilers with new, more energy-efficient models to a comprehensive energy assessment and greenhouse gas emissions audit. It would also include a project at the Yonkers wastewater plant that would convert gas created in the treatment process to electricity. The county has also applied for another $10 million from a federal Alternative Fuel Vehicle program to replace gas and diesel vehicles with hybrid vehicles and to expand its already existing program to convert used vegetable oil into bio-fuel to run vehicles and heat buildings.

Spano said these energy projects mean double savings for county taxpayers since not only are they estimated to save more than $30 million in energy costs, but they would now be paid for by stimulus dollars, not tax dollars.

"Reducing our carbon footprint and our dependence on foreign oil is a major goal of the stimulus plan," said Spano. "It is also a major goal of my Global Warming initiative so it fits in nicely with actions the county is already taking to address climate control, save energy and save money too."