VILLAGE OF MONTOUR FALLS

Welcome to the Village of Montour Falls!

Welcome to the Village of Montour Falls!

As the southern gateway to the Finger Lakes Region Montour Falls is noted for its natural as well as its historical beauty. Surrounded by hills rising 1,000 feet, it is the focal point for seven natural glens which radiate from its borders, with more than a score of beautiful waterfalls, all located in this “VALLEY OF TUMBLING WATERS.”

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Important Dates

Public Notice

For more information on the NY Forward grant visit: MontourfallsNYF.com

Earlier this year, The Village of Montour Falls was awarded a $4.5 million dollar grant through the New York State NY Forward Program and the Local Planning Committee (LPC) held their first meeting on May 23, 2023.

Co-Chairs Mayor James Ryan and Judy McKinney Cherry, Executive Director of the Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development, are pleased to announce the next phase of the project implementation, which is the open call for proposals to the Village of Montour Falls.

A virtual informational session regarding the Open Call for Proposals process will be held on Monday, June 19, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. This is an opportunity for the community members, building owners, and the public to learn more about how to submit a project, which may be included in the final Strategic Investment Plan, which will be submitted to the state later this year.

All open call applications will be due no later than Friday, June 30, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.

To register for the June 19th virtual meeting, for more information about the NY Forward Grant Award and to download the Project Application, please visit: MontourFallsNYF.com

OPEN CALL Document

Village of Montour Falls takes big step “Forward” with $4.5M Grant Award from Inaugural New York Forward Grant Program

Schuyler County, NY: During a visit to the Southern Tier earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the Village of Montour Falls would be the recipient of a $4.5M grant through the inaugural NY Forward Grant Program.
New York Forward was created in 2022 to give smaller communities the opportunity to compete for the highly sought-after downtown revitalization grants. Municipalities throughout the state competed in their economic development region for a grant of either $4.5M or two-$2.25M awards.
After submitting its application in September 2022, the Village of Montour Falls was named a finalist and presented its plan to the selection committee last fall. Titled “Community Building for the Next Generation”, the Village of Montour Falls outlined several transformative opportunities in their application, which included:

A new housing development with mixed-use buildings for lower-floor retail and upper-floor apartments as well as the construction of town-house style single-family homes.
Streetscape improvements along NYS Route 14 (Catherine Street) and Main Street will include new lighting, widening, and replacement of sidewalks to allow for outdoor seating for restaurants and cafés, and landscape improvements.
A variety of infrastructure projects at Montour Marina such as the replacement of 3,000 feet of the sea wall to make the marina more resilient to future flooding, the construction of 20 new docks which will allow for 40 additional boat slips, demolishing the existing boathouse and construction of a new bathhouse facility.
In addition to the infrastructure improvements, additional resources will be allocated for the construction of a new park office, marina store, a new ADA-accessible kayak launch, improve access points at Queen Catherine Marsh, and the construction of a new playground which will be accessible by campers and the local community.
Creation of a downtown improvement fund that will allow property owners to submit for smaller projects such as façade improvements, conversion of upper floors to apartments, business expansion, and other site improvements.

Mayor Jim Ryan, Village of Montour Falls – On behalf of the Village of Montour Falls, I would like to thank Governor Hochul for her NY Forward program aimed toward communities like Montour Falls. I am pleased the Regional Economic Development Council recognizes our village's past achievements and embraced our plan to continue moving Montour Falls forward. I want to acknowledge the professionalism shown by the project team, which will ensure the implementation of project goals. This level of funding will help advance Montour Falls in meeting its economic and community betterment goals.
Carl Blowers, Chairman of the Schuyler County Legislature and member of the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council – The Forward New York award of $4.5 million for the Village of Montour Falls is an excellent investment by the State because it will transform Montour Falls and by extension, Schuyler County. We are grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul for creating this new mini-DRI program for small communities and look forward to assisting the Village and State in completing significant revitalization projects in the Village. I am particularly pleased with the community engagement and student involvement in the process.
Judy McKinney Cherry Executive Director of the Schuyler County Partnership and Co-Chair of the Southern Tier REDC – On behalf of the Southern Tier REDC, I congratulate the Village of Montour Falls on this fantastic award. I thank the State of New York and Governor Hochul for her vision and commitment to Upstate New York. The NY Forward program allows all communities within the Southern Tier to apply and participate in this new revitalization program. The team that presented on behalf of the Village were excellent ambassadors and conveyed a compelling message that paid off. We look forward to the resulting private sector leverage that these public dollars will bring to the Village.
Fonda Chronis, Schuyler County Administrator – These are the things that a small county can do when we put our resources together and work towards a common good. Congratulations to Montour Falls.

Officials will meet with state representatives in the coming weeks to outline the process, create the local planning committee and work on community participation and feedback.

Request for Proposals

There are no current RFPs. For more information regarding the procurement policy and process, please contact the Village Clerk at clerk@villageofmontourfalls.com.

Available Positions

Climate Justice Fellow

The Village of Montour Falls is seeking a full-time Climate Justice Fellow to assist with various Climate Smart and Clean Energy conservation, education, and outreach projects in the Village and surrounding areas. The Village of Montour Falls is a Bronze Certified Climate Smart Community. The Village established Sustainable Montour Falls (a committee of local residents, local businesses, subject matter experts, and government officials) to oversee all of the sustainability initiatives and projects in Montour Falls. The Village and Sustainable Montour Falls have implemented many climate and clean energy initiatives and programs in the past few years. The Village and Sustainable Montour Falls also have many additional projects that are underway or will begin within the next year. Some of these current projects include the development of a Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan, a Food Scraps Educational and Waste Reduction Campaign, the installation of several Zero-Energy Vehicle Charging Stations and the purchase of an Electric Vehicle for municipal use. Future projects include a feasibility study and the construction of a compost facility, flood resilience construction projects, and a Tree Inventory and Community Forest Management Plan. The Climate Justice Fellow must commit to the entire 12-month fellowship with the goal of assisting the Village in advancing climate justice and clean energy priorities for disadvantaged communities. The Fellow will be responsible for providing essential research, assisting with grant writing and reporting, and engaging with the community on Climate Smart, Clean Energy, and Climate Justice Initiatives. The Fellow will also serve on the Sustainability Committee.

Eligible Climate Justice Fellow candidates must:

Currently reside in NYS and be able work in NYS full-time for 12-months
Commit to the entire 12-month fellowship and the goal of assisting the Village in advancing climate smart, climate justice, and clean energy priorities for disadvantaged communities
Currently be from a Priority Population as defined on NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Workforce Development policy which includes:
- Veterans
- Individuals with disabilities
- Low-income individuals (household’s total income is below or at 60% of the State Median Income of $75,157), or whose household has been determined eligible for or is receiving assistance through the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or other human service benefit programs
- Incumbent or unemployed fossil fuel workers
- Previously incarcerated individuals
- 16- to 24-year-olds who are enrolled in or have completed a comprehensive work preparedness training program such as those offered by Boards of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES), technical high schools, Conservation Corps, YouthBuild, and AmeriCorps
- Homeless individuals
- Single parents
Be a new hire - not a previous or furloughed employee, contractor, or intern.

Responsibilities Include:

Assist with current Climate Smart and Clean Energy Projects, including research, data collection, data entry, scanning, filing, and organizing.
Assist with grant reporting and administration.
Engage with the community at meetings, workshops, educational and outreach activities, etc.
Assist with grant applications for future projects
Develop checklists, spreadsheets, flyers, and other documents as needed
Request quotes and other information needed for grant applications and projects
Attend meetings, webinars, and trainings in person and virtually - may require in-state travel

Knowledge and Skills required:

Proficient verbal and written communication skills
Basic Computer Skills
Customer Service Skills
Organizational Skills
Ability and Desire to engage with the Community in person and virtually
Desire to learn about climate and environmental justice, public policy, racial inequities, and related topics
Project management skills and ability to prioritize, meet deadlines, and multi- task
Ability to work well with others

Location: Village of Montour Falls, New York

Schedule: 35 hours per week, for 12 consecutive months, normally Monday through Friday, with some evenings and weekends for meetings, workshops, and other community engagement and/or professional development activities. May spend extended periods at a computer. This is an in-person position primarily located in the Montour Falls. Reliable transportation is essential.

Salary: $37,000 for 12-month fellowship

Benefits:

Comprehensive employee health benefits for the 12-month employment period (i.e., medical, dental and vision)

Training/Professional Development and other services needed to fully participate in the program

The Village of Montour Falls is an inclusive employer committed to employment and promotion opportunities for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, military or veteran status, sensory, mental or physical disability, pregnancy and childbirth, family responsibilities, or any other basis protected by applicable laws, regulations, or guidelines relating to discrimination in employment.

Sustainability

The Village of Montour Falls is committed to becoming a resillient and sustainable community. In 2019, Montour Falls became a certified Bronze Climate Smart Community and now it is working towards the silver certification. The village has already recieved over $60,000 of sustainability grants and will continue to strive for more. These initiatives have allowed the village to improve our infrastructure and economy while ensuring that future generations will be able live healthy, prosperous lives. Read more about our initiatives and projects by clicking the link below!

Click here to Learn More

Learn about this program