Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Blog #16 - Big Grant Award to Town, Solar Panels to be Installed on Pavilion

FIRE GRANT AWARDED TO TOWN

The Town has been granted $168,831 in funding from the USDA Forest Service! Our Fire Hazardous Fuel Reduction grant proposal was one of 397 grant proposals this year requesting a total of $70 million. The grant covers environmental consultation, promotion development, professional services, project management, photo monitoring, and contract administration. We can expect actual funding to be available sometime between July and November of this year, so the program will likely start next spring. Town staffer Yvonne Roberts wrote the grant application and so hats off to her for securing this important grant. Town staff look forward to working with the Ross Valley Fire Department on brush clearing projects and educational and promotional activities that will make our Town less vulnerable to a major wild fire.

SOLAR PANELS BEING INSTALLED ON PAVILION ROOF

The installation of solar panels on the Pavilion roof has begun. SPG Solar won a competitive bid to construct the panels on the Pavilion roof. Nearly all of the SPG staff live in Fairfax! Soon the Pavilion, Town Hall, the Police and Fire Stations will all be solar powered!! The Fairfax Theater is the first theater in the United States to go solar! Congratulations to Fairfax for leading the way in energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint.