City launches “ClimateReadyNR” initiative

By Leslie Gaskin

On June 22, 2023 I received in my email a “City News” update from the City of New Rochelle. I will share a portion of that email with you in a moment, but first some background about the process of registering for “City News.” 

To become a member of the city’s “City News” email list is easy. First, visit the official website of the City of New Rochelle.  Next, find the tab titled, “How Do I,” and then tap on the option in the pull down screen titled “Register,” and tap “Notify Me” to create an account. Once you have created your account, a plentiful list of options will pop up, and you can select the areas of New Rochelle government that you are interested in receiving email updates from.

Being a recipient of “City News” will positively impact your knowledge of New Rochelle government and hopefully inspire you to become involved. In a city where community engagement is sorely lacking and few citizens are aware of the decisions being made by the city government, receiving “City News” is a very real way to empower the individual resident. 

Now back to the “City News” update I received on June 22 called “New Rochelle Launches ClimateReadyNR Community-wide Climate Vulnerability Assessment.” 

The article describes a new “Climate Ready NR” initiative with the goal of “increasing resilience to the hazards and detrimental impacts of climate change.” The excerpt below presents a survey and other opportunities to be engaged with this particular initiative.

To take the survey in English or Spanish, please visit https://tinyurl.com/ClimateReadySurvey or stop by in person at the City’s information booth at one of the many summer events. To launch the public dialogue around Climate Ready NR, the City will host an online webinar, including “Climate Resilience 101,”, on Thursday, July 13th from 7-8:30 PM. To register, please visit https://tinyurl.com/ClimateReady101.  

To stay informed with upcoming news and information about Climate Ready NR, please visit www.newrochelleny.com/GreeNR and submit your contact information. If you have questions or issues accessing the survey, please reach out to sustainability@newrochelleny.com or call 914-654-2013.

 This project has been funded in part by the Climate Smart Community Grant Program, Title 15 of the Environmental Protection Fund through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

After reading the email and digesting the opportunities for further involvement,  it was not lost on me that the timing of this initiative dovetails nicely with the outgoing mayor’s new appointment as executive director of Sustainable Westchester, effective January 2024.

In the words of author Emma Bull, said “Coincidence is the word used when we can’t see the levers and pulleys.”