New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced that the Town of Clifton Park achieved Bronze certification in the latest round of New York State’s Climate Smart Communities Certification program. The program supports local efforts across the state to meet the economic, social, and environmental challenges posed by climate change. Through planning and implementing climate smart actions, Clifton Park should see a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and improve community resilience.

Established in 2009, the Climate Smart Communities (CSC) program provides guidance and technical support to local governments to take locally driven climate action. The first step to becoming a Climate Smart Community is to register by pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.

To be certified, communities must demonstrate an active task force, which includes residents and municipal representatives, to lead the charge and advance local climate action. “Achieving this milestone is a testament to Clifton Park’s continued and expansive efforts towards reducing pollution, improving community resilience and taking substantive and positive actions to address climate change and the emission of greenhouse gases”, said Deputy Supervisor and Clifton Park Climate Smart Coordinator, Anthony Morelli.

The Town of Clifton Park established the CSC Task Force in 2024 and with the rigorous support of volunteers on the Town’s GREEN Committee, was able to accomplish significant steps in this effort, including but not limited to:

1. Installation of electric vehicle charging stations in multiple locations, including Town Hall, Clifton Common and Town Center Park.
2. Installation of LED Streetlights throughout the Town as well as utilization of LED lighting inside Town Hall, the Ice Arena, and other municipal buildings.
3. The Town of Clifton Park GREEN committee has held multiple Repair Cafes since 2023. These Repair Cafes were held at the Clifton Park Senior Center (free of charge) and promote reuse and repurpose of items that might otherwise be The Repair Cafe Teams typically consist of General and Electrical Repair, Mechanical Repair, Woodworking, Fabric mending/sewing, Computer Hardware and Software, Clock, Jewelry, and knife sharpening.
4. For Earth Day, the Town distributed composters and rain barrels to residents.
5. Establishment of a drop-off yard waste program as well as a drop-off food waste program at the Town Transfer Station. The Town also has an established community-wide curbside pick-up yard waste program. The quantity picked up and mulched annually has exceeded 22,000 cubic yards collected from residents, landscapers, and Town pickup. About 16,000 cubic yards of the mulch are given to residents, used in municipal projects, given/sold to landscapers, blended to make topsoil, and sold.
6. The Town expanded and improved bike/walking paths, bike lanes, and sidewalks; bike parking improvement projects; and improvement of signage for pedestrians and bicyclists.
7. The Town Board has permanently protected over 2000 acres since the inception of the open space plan in 2001 exponentially expanding our parks and recreational resources.

Last Monday evening the Town Board held a public hearing involving the topic of E Bikes. E Bikes have become very popular, and many people enjoy using the bikes for fun or as an alternate form of transportation to get to a destination. The Town Board is currently in a lengthy study of E bikes involving the assessment of the various types of bikes and associated safety measures we may be able to incorporate into the potential travel routes as well as the actual definition of E bikes that needs to be incorporated into our Town Code and other important elements of the topic. 

Currently, New York State regulations are in effect given there are no Town regulations pertaining to E bikes. New York State regulations state E bikes are not allowed on any public lands or roadways with a stated speed limit over 30 mph. The Town Board must define E bikes within our Town Code and stipulate regulations to allow E Bikes to be used on public lands. The process we have embarked upon will lead to the proper definition and regulations to allow E bikes in specific public areas. To be clear, the proposed legislation being considered by the Town Board would expand the permissible use of e-bikes, not restrict it.

Many people who attended the public hearing were surprised by the discussion that ensued on this topic. Unfortunately, the dissemination of a false narrative that was propagated on social media led people to believe the Town was embarking on a far different process than the reality of the situation. This is unfortunate but all too common. It is true E bikes are currently banned in public areas, based on New York State regulations but the Town Board is working toward a commonsense resolution which considers the safety of pedestrians as well as E bike riders. We assume many people are not aware of the current state regulations that we have found during the early stage of our review process. A process like the one the Town Board has initiated is vital to resolve the contradictions in state and local laws. 

The Town Board regularly conducts studies on topics that arise as new technologies evolve and changes to New York State law allow for new industries to emerge. Other studies that are underway include the analysis of Battery Storage Systems and large-scale cannabis growing and cultivation businesses. The E Bike study will be conducted over the next several months and will continue to be a public, comprehensive process. However, the first task will be to define E bikes in the Town code and allow their use in specific public areas. Further analysis of associated issues will follow. 

Thank you to everyone who attended the public hearing. We will provide updates on the process as we move forward. 

The Town of Clifton Park is excited to announce the transition to a new communications platform, GovDelivery (Granicus), designed to enhance how we share important updates, news, and alerts with you.

If you have previously subscribed to notifications through the Town’s website, you will continue to receive those communications for the time being. However, as we onboard this new system, we strongly encourage you to subscribe to GovDelivery to ensure uninterrupted access to Town updates. During this transition period, some communications may be duplicated across both platforms and in the event that certain updates are discontinued from the website subscription system, they will be exclusively available through GovDelivery.

Subscribe now to stay informed: Connect to Clifton Park

We appreciate your patience and participation as we improve and enhance our communication digital tools to better serve you.

The Town of Clifton Park is proud to announce the launch of its new official website: www.CliftonParkNY.gov. This transition from the previous domain, CliftonPark.org, marks a significant step in enhancing transparency, security, and accessibility for residents and visitors. 

The move to a .gov domain aligns with new requirements adopted by New York State in 2025, mandating that municipalities with populations over 1,500 maintain an official website using a .gov domain. These changes are part of a broader statewide initiative to improve public trust and ensure that government websites are easily identifiable and secure. 

“We’re excited to offer a more secure and user-friendly online experience for our community,” said Philip Barrett, Town Supervisor. “The new website not only meets state requirements but also reflects our ongoing commitment to open government and digital accessibility.” 

Key Features of the New Website: 

• Only verified U.S. government entities can register a .gov domain. 

• Reduces the risk of phishing and spoofing. 

• Meets New York’s State 2025 .gov Web Domain Mandate.  

• Search engines often rank .gov domains higher due to their authority and trustworthiness. 

Residents are encouraged to visit the new site and update any bookmarks or saved links. The previous domain, CliftonPark.org, will redirect users to the new site during the transition period. 

For residents in Country Knolls, we have an update on the Forest Drive Culvert Replacement Project.  The project was managed by the Highway Department.  The culvert pipe was replaced recently, and the road remains closed.  Last week, Supervisor Barrett was contacted by nearby residents about a potential issue they identified with the results of the project.  After visiting the site, Supervisor Barrett immediately contacted the contractor and asked for the next planned steps in the restoration process.  The contractor had plans to restore the pavement so the road can be reopened.  Supervisor Barrett directed the contractor not to complete any further restoration efforts, due to the need for a full review of the project.  Supervisor Barrett and Councilman Morelli have met with residents, town staff, engineers and the contractor at the site multiple times since last week. The review process will continue this week and will be completed as soon as possible.  Further updates will be posted.  Thank you for your patience.