LAKE PLACID — Members of the Local Enhancement and Advancement Fund (LEAF) committee presented their selection of grant recipients to the North Elba Town Council during a meeting Tuesday.

The LEAF grants are funded by revenue from the 5% occupancy tax collected by Essex County. There was $327,760 available to the town from the fund for this round of grants. After the recommended funds are awarded to each of the recommended organizations, there will be a remaining balance of $91,703 in the fund. This is the sixth round of LEAF grants since the program began in the summer of 2020.

The 12 projects recommended by the committee for approval were:

– Adirondack Rugby Inc. and the Can-Am Rugby Tournament applied for $91,850 for upgrades to the North Elba fields. The committee recommended awarding $21,350.

– ADK Tour de Ski applied for $17,922 to help fund the winter race series. The committee recommended awarding $9,000.

– Ausable Freshwater Center applied for $50,000 to help acquire LiDAR data for a project identifying sediment sources in the AuSable River. The committee recommended awarding $25,000.

– Lake Placid Center for the Arts applied for $200,000 for the renovation of its indoor education space. The committee recommended awarding $100,000.

– Lake Placid Olympic Museum applied for $8,000 to fund an enhancement showcasing local Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The committee recommended awarding $5,000.

– Lake Placid Volunteer Ambulance Service applied for $18,500 to purchase a chest compression system to improve response time. The committee recommended awarding $18,000.

– Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society applied for $15,000 for outdoor enhancement of the museum and the rail trail entrance. The committee recommended awarding the full amount.

– New York Ski Educational Foundation applied for $40,045 to continue funding their regional event. The committee recommended awarding $20,792.

– Saranac Lake 3P, Inc. applied for $4,030 to purchase vests and T-shirts for their event. The committee recommended awarding $1,500.

– Saranac Lake Civic Center applied for $6,200 to go towards purchasing roller skates for a planned off-season roller skating rink. The committee recommended awarding the full amount.

– Search and Rescue of the Northern Adirondacks applied for $6,715 to purchase an upgraded radio system. The committee recommended awarding the full amount.

– Village of Saranac Lake applied for $42,000 to purchase tower pads for Mt. Pisgah. The committee recommended awarding $7,500.

The board did not formally vote and approve the recommendations at Tuesday’s meeting. However, on Thursday, Supervisor Derek Doty said he expected the board to approve them soon over email. He said they don’t want to leave some of the more time-sensitive projects waiting for funding.

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Raising fees, not taxes

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During Tuesday’s meeting, the board also carried a motion to raise the T-Hangar fee at the Lake Placid Airport. The fee was previously $250, which was much lower than what most similar airports charge, Doty said. This fee has not been changed for 12 years. The board raised it to $325, which was the number used in revenue calculations for the 2025 budget, according to town Budget Officer Catherine Edman.

The board is changing the tipping fees at the North Elba Transfer Station in hopes of attracting bigger clients and boosting revenue, Doty said. The station charges a flat rate for large loads of waste — $185 per ton — but will be adding a discount to make the prices feasible for larger companies who might want to use the transfer station in North Elba instead of hauling their loads over long distances.

The new discounted rates for large volume loads are based on average tonnage disposed by each vendor. For an average of 20 tons per week, there will be a 10% discount and for an average of 40 tons per week, there will be a 15% discount.

If this discount succeeds in attracting larger clients, the town estimates that they could see a $136,000 increase in revenue from the transfer station. This is a significant amount of revenue for the town, and represents the kind of revenue streams that the town would like to use to lessen the burden on taxpayers.

“As a town, we need to both increase revenues in some way, shape or form, and decrease expenses. Otherwise we’re going down a slippery slope with the tax cap,” council member Rick Preston said during the meeting.

“I would say — if I can revise your statement — to strategically generate revenues,” council member Jason Leon added. “So they’re not on the backs of the taxpayer.”

The board voted on the new rates at the transfer station and the motion was accepted unanimously.

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Other board decisions

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The board unanimously approved $5,000 in Cannabis Funds for a pollinator garden planned for Lake Placid Elementary School.

The council also accepted their contract with the Thrive and Thrift food pantry. This comes as construction at the new location near the Shipman Youth Center concludes and the organization prepares to move in. In the contract, the town is responsible for maintaining the exterior of the building and the parking lot, Doty said.