Moratorium on new battery energy storage systems established in Cortlandville

Lily Byrne, X101 News:

A six-month moratorium was established on new permits for battery energy storage systems at
Wednesday night’s Cortlandville Town Board meeting.

This moratorium will be in conjunction with the solar moratorium, said Town Attorney Fran Casullo.

Projects that have already been approved are exempt from the moratorium, said Keeghan Coughlin, of Coughlin & Gerhart, but existing ones cannot be expanded.

The moratorium was established so the Town Board has time to study the potential impacts and effects on land caused by the installation of battery energy storage systems, the proposal says.

Also at the meeting, two residents expressed concern during a Public Hearing on the town’s preliminary budget.

Pam Jenkins asked that the Board restore funding to the library and Homer Recreation Department budget.

“The unanimously passed resolution to grandfather yourselves in at 100% coverage for medical insurance premiums was overly generous to yourselves, and not something which I think most taxpayers would support,” Jenkins said. “Most working people have to pay something into their health insurance plan.”

She requested it be lowered to 80 percent, so the Board’s premium is covered at the same rate of the Cortlandville’s employees.

“What caused the budget concerns this year?” Bob Martin asked during the hearing. “Sales tax has not been reduced that much, and will not be reduced significantly until 2028. The sales tax will be reduced by one third in 2028, almost $900,000. How will the town compensate for this reduction?”

Also, Jeffrey D. Breed was appointed to the Cortlandville Planning Board. Breed is also a volunteer firefighter, said Board Member Glenn Reisweber.