Town of Southeast hires Millennial Strategies to seek state grant for Spring House PFOA remediation

The Town of Southeast board on July 8 voted to hire Millennial Strategies LLC to prepare a grant application to the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) aimed at funding remediation of PFOA contamination in the Spring House Water District.

Supervisor Castellano introduced the proposal and described the potential scale of the project, saying the town would apply for EFC Water Infrastructure Improvement Act funding for fiscal year 2026 and that an award could cover roughly 70% of the district’s remediation costs. "We have a water district that's having some issues with PFOAs," Castellano said during the work session, outlining the town's interest in pursuing the grant.

The board approved a one-time $3,500 payment to Millennial Strategies to prepare this specific grant application and authorized transferring $3,500 from contingency to the special district budget to cover the fee. The resolution also authorized the supervisor to execute any documents necessary to submit the application.

Board members debated whether to keep the town's existing "flex" arrangement with Millennial — a $5,000 annual access fee plus per-grant charges — or move to a full-service retainer. Castellano described two options from the firm: the lower-cost flex plan, and a full-retainer model that Millennial described as roughly $3,300 per month plus a $5,000 administrative fee. "They're charging us $3,500 extra" for the work on this particular application under the flex arrangement, Castellano said while describing past practice of paying per-grant fees.

One board member who supported the flex plan noted the town had applied for five grants over two years and been awarded two, arguing the math favored staying with the lower-cost approach: "In 2 years, we've applied for 5 grants. We've been awarded 2," that member said during the discussion. Supporters of the full-retainer option said greater Millennial involvement could mean faster action and more grant opportunities, but several members expressed concern about the town’s ability to manage many more awarded projects if they expand grant activity.

The board also resolved to authorize the supervisor or designee to submit the application to EFC and approved a separate resolution authorizing a one-year contract with Millennial Strategies for grant research and writing services, set to expire June 30, 2027.

The board discussed project cost estimates during the meeting; a board member referenced a preliminary project cost in the low millions for the water district. The town noted there is no guarantee the grant will be awarded and that the match and final plans remain to be determined.

Next steps: the supervisor is authorized to sign and submit grant documents to the EFC and to execute the contract with Millennial Strategies. The town will notify the Spring House Water District and proceed with application preparation under the approved terms.