LAKE PLACID — The town of North Elba town council agreed to give four organizations grants from the town’s cannabis fund at a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 11. This was the latest round of grants, which are received and awarded on a rolling basis.

The town’s cannabis grant program was established in July, with the intent of prioritizing projects and organizations that support local youth, elderly community members and law enforcement. Since last March, the town has received $94,908.93 in revenue from this tax, according to the most recent numbers available from town budget officer Catherine Edman.

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Northern Lights

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Northern Lights School, in Saranac Lake, applied for cannabis funds for a bathroom renovation project. This was specifically for one of three classrooms for their continuity of care program, which is for children between the age of 6 months and 3 years. This project will convert an existing closet space into a bathroom “to ensure all programs have access to the same essential resources,” according to the grant application.

This renovation is projected to take place over spring break and has a total project cost of $5,740. The school has recently received grants from the state and LEAF grants from North Elba for upgrades to heating system. The town council agreed to grant the requested amount of $5,000.

Although the school is in Saranac Lake, the council agreed that the project qualified for the grant because it was of benefit to North Elba families.

“One of the questions that always comes up when we’re dealing with Northern Lights is ‘How much effect does it have upon North Elba?'” town council member Dick Cummings said during last Tuesday’s meeting. “A number of North Elba families take advantage of this service at this school.”

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Lake Placid Police Department

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The Lake Placid Police Department applied for and was granted $10,000 for the purchase of a TruNarc handheld narcotics analyzer, which is used to identify dangerous narcotics. This will help the department prosecute dangerous drug cases, according to their grant application, and can also aid in emergency medical situations like overdoses.

The total cost for this purchase, which includes a warranty and training for members of the department, is $32,139.01, according to the grant application.

LPHS RobOlympians

The third application discussed and accepted by the town board was for the Lake Placid RobOlympians team at Lake Placid High School. This robotics class and club includes students in grades seven through 12, who will be competing at an international competition, the FIRST Robotics Competition, in Albany at the end of March.

The total cost to participate in this competition is $12,000, according to the grant application. This includes an entry fee of $6,000, materials and travel costs. The team applied for and was granted $2,500 in cannabis funds.

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Three Seasons at Heart Lake

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The Adirondack Mountain Club was also awarded a grant for their Three Seasons at Heart Lake school outreach program. This program is an “inquiry-based environmental education curriculum” that the club offers to area elementary schools at no cost.

The total cost of their program is $220,204.51, and they requested $4,500 in cannabis funds to partially cover the preparation and printing of student field journals. In the grant application, it is outlined that the Adirondack Mountain Club has long-term commitment from other donors but needs supplemental funding each year to strengthen the program.

The Three Seasons program works with about 450 students in 12 schools, according to the application. Their goal is to increase engagement with the outdoors and encourage physical activity, while also teaching many outdoor skills that tie in with other topics in science, writing, math and geography.