Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Congressman Bill Owens announced that the Town of Chester, in Warren County, has received a Community Facility Loan and Grant totaling $207,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Development. The funding, comprised of a $187,000 loan and $20,000 grant will be used to install a new HVAC pellet boiler to improve energy efficiency at the Town Hall, which also serves as the Senior Center and the Meals on Wheels preparation site in Chester.
“Efficiently supporting our rural communities with funding for community facility upgrades is pivotal for our local community services and our economy,” said Schumer. “Making this investment for the Town of Chester’s Town Hall will save money in the long run and help support important local functions during the winter months like seniors’ events, the Meals on Wheels program and many others that improve quality of life in the region.”
“This is an important investment for seniors in the Town of Chester,” Senator Gillibrand said. “These federal funds will help improve the ventilation and air quality at the senior center, helping to protect their health and improve service for events and the local Meals on Wheels program. And by making this upgrade, that helps make the senior center more energy efficient to save taxpayer dollars.”
“This grant will help the Town of Chester continue providing quality services to the community while showing the region that pellet boilers are an economical way to stay warm in the winter,” Congressman Bill Owens said. “All over upstate New York, and especially in Warren County, pellet boilers are growing in popularity. We have an abundant and renewable supply of locally-produced fuel for them, so in addition to lower energy bills, this upgrade and others like it make sense environmentally.”
The funding is part of the USDA Rural Development annual budget. USDA Rural Development’s mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for rural residents. Rural Development fosters growth in homeownership, finances business development, and supports the creation of necessary community and technology infrastructure.