14 Apr North Elba Local Enhancement and Advancement Fund (LEAF) awardees announced
Lake Placid, NY – The Town of North Elba is pleased to announce the newly established North Elba Local Enhancement and Advancement Fund (LEAF) is awarding funds to several local organizations.
The North Elba LEAF is a dedicated and ongoing fund available to nonprofits, local governments, and public sector organizations within the Town of North Elba. Monies for the fund are derived from a dedicated 2% Essex County occupancy tax that was implemented by the Essex County Board of Supervisors in June of 2020.
“The funds available from LEAF will improve the quality of place for both residents and visitors,” North Elba Town Supervisor Jay Rand said. “The LEAF Committee went through a detailed process of reviewing projects and programs, and we feel those approved best reflect the mission of LEAF. Unfortunately not everything was approved, but we encourage applicants to reapply during the next round.”
The projects recommended by the LEAF committee and approved by the Town of North Elba were submitted by the following 17 nonprofits, local governments, and public sector organizations: the Rotary Club of Lake Placid, Barkeater Trails Alliance, Zonta Club of the Adirondacks, Ausable River Association, Lake Placid Center for the Arts, Lake Placid Community Day, Lake Placid Community Beautification Association Inc, Lake Placid Elementary School, Lake Placid Land Conservancy, Adirondack Land Trust, Village of Saranac Lake, Lake Placid Volunteer Ambulance, Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society, Lake Placid Central School District, Village of Lake Placid (North Elba website), Mirror Lake Watershed, and Essex County Industrial Development Agency.
Total funds awarded in the first round was $560,265.25 for the following projects:
| Rotary Club of Lake Placid NY | $5,000.00 | Construction of three bus shelters throughout community |
| Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA) | $10,000.00 | Funding to expand Trails program season and signage on Jackrabbit Trail at Craig Wood |
| Zonta Club of the Adirondacks | $3,551.25 | Production of domestic violence assistance posters |
| Ausable River Association | $16,378.00 | First year of 5 year commitment totaling $170,000 for Mirror Lake |
| Lake Placid Center for the Arts | $65,000.00 | 3 week outdoor summer arts festival |
| Lake Placid Community Day | $5,000.00 | Tent purchase for community use during events |
| Lake Placid Community Beautification Association Inc | $30,000.00 | Purchase of truck and water conserving pots |
| Lake Placid Elementary School | $50,000.00 | Purchase of playground equipment/ elementary school |
| Lake Placid Land Conservancy | $3,746.00 | Purchase of trail cameras to monitor wildlife within Town of North Elba |
| Adirondack Land Trust | $38,850.00 | Establish trailhead and improve signage for Cobble Hill trail |
| Village of Saranac Lake | $57,700.00 | Phase One of the Baldwin Park redesign for better utilization of the space |
| Lake Placid Volunteer Ambulance | $10,000.00 | Construction of accessible bathroom on ground level |
| Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society | $15,000.00 | Continuation of the collection of oral stories and photos of the town’s history and digital catalogue for future use |
| Lake Placid Central School District | $5,000.00 | Summer reading program for grades 6-12 |
| Village of Lake Placid/ North Elba website | $15,000.00 | Consolidation and upgrade of village/town websites |
| Mirror Lake Watershed | $5,040.00 | Funding towards invasive study program |
| Essex County Industrial Development Agency | $225,000.00 | COVID-19 relief for small businesses in Town of North Elba with under 25 employees |
“All the projects or programs approved will positively impact the community, its residents, and the visitors’ experience,” Catherine Beamis, LEAF Committee member said. “From projects and programs that enhance the protection of our natural resources to initiatives that will benefit community events, everything the LEAF Committee recommended will have a positive impact on North Elba and the people here. We couldn’t be more excited about the future.”
The North Elba LEAF prioritizes projects that meet the mission of the fund and are catalysts for new programming or offerings for the community. LEAF grants are not intended to fund current iterations of programs for eligible organizations.
For those considering applications in the future, details on how to apply and the scoring criteria is available at www.RoostADK.com/Leaf. Applications for the initial round of funding were accepted between January 1, 2021 and March 1, 2021. The next round of applications will be accepted no later than September 1, 2021 and approved by the town board no later than November 1, 2021.
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