Warren County to administer $312,500 WQIP grant to help towns buy low-salt snow equipment

Warren County’s Works Committee on the meeting’s agenda ratified a $312,500 Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP) grant to help towns purchase snow- and anti-icing equipment that reduces road salt use.

County staff said the grant covers 75% of eligible equipment purchases — about $250,000 — with participating towns responsible for a local match totaling $62,500 across the group. The county will establish a capital project to receive the 75% portion, require towns to buy equipment and then reimburse them for 75% of the cost under intermunicipal agreements.

"The grant total was $312,500, of which $250,000 is the 75% share and $62,500 is the local match," a county staff member said during the meeting. The staff member told the committee that towns will buy equipment and the county will reimburse the 75% share after purchase.

Committee members noted the town of Queensbury would likely carry one of the larger local matches (about $40,000 under initial estimates) and thanked state leaders for the funding. The committee voted to ratify the chair’s prior signature, establish the capital project, and authorize IMAs so towns can receive reimbursements.

Next steps: county staff will finalize the capital-project bookkeeping and execute intermunicipal agreements with participating towns so equipment purchases can proceed. The county noted other towns that can demonstrate reduced salt usage may still be eligible for future WQIP rounds and should coordinate with county DPW.