Town Board - Regular Meeting

I allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the republic for it stands nation. Please remain standing for a moment of silence. I'd ask that you keep your thoughts and prayers. The brave service men and women serving our country both here and abroad. Thank you. Please be seated. Would the clerk call the role? Councilman Monetta here. Councilman Martinez. Councilman Mcweeny here. Councilman Gregory here. Supervisor Schaper

and I am here. So all five are present. We have a quorum. Um just by way of information, this is the December 17th, 2025 meeting of the Bablin Town Board at 3 PM. If you're here for your first time, the meeting is divided up into three sections. The first is dedicated to the public hearings. There are four public hearings scheduled for today. Uh second is dedicated to the agenda. Agendas are available on the table up front. So if you're interested in addressing the board, any of the items listed on the agenda, um you need to fill out a card up front, file with our town clerk. Third portion is the open portion when residents can come forward and address the board on any matter concerning town government or town services. That is not on today's agenda. If you are watching us on our YouTube channel live on the 17th of December at 3 PM, you can click on the link that'll take you to today's agenda. You can send us a message, question, comment, or concern. One of us will get back to you if you're watching us at a future day and time. You can also utilize that link. It's still live and you can send us a message and we will get back to you. So with that, we'll go into the public hearings in the first public hearing. public hearing to consider adopting a local law extending the temporary moratorum on battery energy storage system facilities in the town of Babylon. I'll go to the cards. I have Nick Garulia.

Oh, we are. Good afternoon. I didn't expect to be first. There you go. Thanks for the opportunity. And just state your name and address for the record. Yep. Nick Warillia, 110 Jerome Avenue, Manila, New York.

I want to talk about battery energy storage, what it is, why it matters for our community, and why New York is ready to deploy it safely and responsibly. New York has built one of the strongest and most transparent safety frameworks anywhere in the country. That was clear. That was the clear takeaway from the Long Island Energy Storage Summit, which brought together fire chiefs, first responders, labor leaders, local officials, utilities, and energy experts. The focus of that day was simple facts: safety, firsthand experience. Battery storage plays a critical role in the modern electric grid. It stores energy when p is plentiful and delivers it back when demand is high, during heat waves, cold snaps, and emergencies. When reliab reliability matters most for Long Island, where energy demand is rising and extreme weathers is becoming more common, this technology is not optional, it is essential. One of the most important voices at the summit was Joe Luis, chief in charge of the FDNY hazmat operation. He made a point worth repeating. In all of his years of emergencies, FDNY has never encountered a battery storage incident in New York City. He credited the record to strong codes, careful project review, and close coordination with fire service. It is also important to address what happens in a rare event of fire. Independent testing, air monitoring, and post incident research follows following recent battery storage fires have consistently shown no lasting health risk or surrounding air, soil, or nearby communities. No injuries and no injuries to the public. These facilities are designed so incidents are contained on site with real-time monitoring and established safety parameters that protect neighbors and first responders. The data matters. While any incident is taken seriously, the evidence shows modern battery

storage does not pose an ongoing public health threat when built and operated under today's standards. Last summer, New York updated its fire safety rules for energy storage. These rules were written h handinhand with the fire FDNY state officials, engineers, and local fire marshals. The very people who respond in emergencies. They require independent engineering review, 247 monitoring, automatic uh system shutdowns, full emergency response plans developed with local fire departments, and mandatory first responder training. When these rules formally take effect in 2026, but it is clear New York is already applying them. Safety is the foundation, but reliability and affordability are the payoff. Energy storage reduces strain on the grid, lowers peak electricity costs, and helps prevent outages. There will always be questions about new infrastructure. That is understandable. But those questions should be answered with facts, data, and the voices of fire and safety professionals, not fear and misinformation. I hope you take advantage. Merry Christmas, everyone. Um, I hope that you take advantage of export expert resources to develop a zoning code that will prioritize safety but not narrow the scope of available locations where these facilities can locate. They are important to the electrical g grid to meet demand, provide reliability and stabilize utility rates. Thank you for your time and happy holidays everyone.

Thank you Lucia. you.

Good afternoon, Supervisor Schaefer and honorable members of the town board. My name is Lucia U and I'm a project developer at Keycapture Energy. KCE is a New York-based developer, owner, and operator of utility scale battery energy storage systems or BES. Respectfully, we encourage the town to continue its constructive efforts toward drafting and adopting a best law. KCE has a project proposed in the town and deeply appreciates the board's commitment to understanding this technology and creating a thoughtful code through collaboration with stakeholders and fire safety experts. Long Islanders currently pay three times more than other regions in New York to maintain aging and outdated peaking power plants. As an island, Long Island faces unique geographic challenges in its electrical infrastructure, which is intensified by increased energy demand. Battery energy storage offers a proven solution to these issues and is being embraced by utilities across the country, including LIPA here on Long Island. Without these projects, we face higher electricity rates and increased blackout risks that will impact everything from hospitals, schools, and businesses and homes. BEST will help keep the lights on when the grid needs it the most. When it comes to safety, BEST facilities have a lower incident rate than both commercial air travel and auto accidents. Today, more than 900 BETs are operating safely across the country, providing reliability improvements and cost savings in states regardless of their political affiliations. This past summer, the state formally approved new fire safety codes that were recommended by the state's inter agency fire safety working group. All best projects, including ours, are being designed and engineered to meet these updated codes. Independent testing has consistently shown that in the extremely rare event of a best fire, it has comparable air

quality impacts as a typical structural fire and poses no unique risk to the surrounding area. The batteries used in KCE systems must pass much more rigorous safety and operational standards than batteries and ebikes, laptops, and other consumer products. We strongly encourage the town to continue its efforts toward adopting a best law by leveraging available resources, including NAERTA's clean energy sighting team and their battery energy storage system guide book and FPA 855 standards and zoning codes passed by other municipalities such as Brook Haven and Huntington. KCE is committed to open, transparent dialogue, and we welcome the opportunity to engage collaboratively with the town board, fire officials, and the best committee to ensure all concerns are addressed and that community safety remains the top priority. We look forward to supporting your efforts as needed. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you, Kevin Bendle. Good afternoon, supervisor and members of the town board. My name is Kevin Bendle. I'm a Babylon resident and I truly love living here, raising my family, this great community. It's my first town board meeting that I've attended. And I highlight that because I would never show up to speak in support of anything I didn't believe was completely safe for my family, my neighbors, my community, or wouldn't have a positive effect for generations to come. Professionally, I'm chief of staff at Hogen Groupoup and I've spent over a decade in the utility industry, including more than 10 years at Con Edison. I'm here because I believe battery en battery energy storage systems are safe, practical tool that our town should be evaluated on its merits, especially given what residents are facing right now. It would be a missed opportunity if I didn't connect this moratorum discussion to the affordability crisis. Families are getting hit hard by raising costs, including energy bills. Battery storage is one of the closest things we have to a silver bullet for affordability, because it helps the grid operate more efficiently and reduces the need for the most expensive power when demand is the highest. To put simply, battery storage manages peaks and stabilizes the grid. When demand spikes during extreme heat and cold, battery storage can deliver power instantly, reducing the strain and lowering the risk of overloads and blackouts. Then it recharges when the demand is low. That peak management improves reliability and helps avoid costly emergency measures that ultimately show up in everyone's rates. On safety, as a Babylon resident, this is my first concern. New York has adopted some of the highest safety codes in the country, including new New York

State Energy Research Development Authority safety regulations and guidance passed this summer along with strong requirements for sighting, monitoring, and emergency planning. And the technology continues to improve. While lithium ion has been common, we're already seeing the next generation options like sodium ion emerging, which is exactly what American innovation looks like. At the end of the day, industry leaders, firefighters, and dads like me agree battery storage technology can be safe and responsibly developed under New York State standards. Please lift the moratorum on the battery storage so that we can get back on track to delivering affordable, reliable energy that keeps our town, Long Island, and New York State working. Thank you for your time and your service.

Thank you. Uh Jordan Christensen.

Hello, I'm Jordan Christensen. I'm here representing Citizens Campaign for the Environment 22A Main Street in Farmingdale. Thank you again for the opportunity to speak to you on this issue. Um, we are here to also urge you to move ahead and create codes that will enable us to build uh battery energy storage systems within the town. So, Bablac has historically been a big leader on environmental issues, on protecting public health, on combating climate change. You, our board that follows the science and creates good science-based policies in order to move us in the future. And the science on best has been clear. We know that it can capture our renewable energy from wind and solar and deploy it to our residences when it's needed, including during peak demand. We know that it makes energy more affordable um and helps lock us into stable pricing so that we're no longer dealing with the fluctuations in price we see with fossil fuels over the long term. We know it makes our grid more resilient in the face of coming AI and data centers, uh facing the increasing energy demand that we're facing uh over the next 20 years here. Um and also in the face of extreme weather, you know, more significant storms, hotter summer heat waves, we do need to move into the future, we do need to combat climate change, and best is going to be a critical part of that. Um so we are on January 1st having the stringent fire codes, science-based fire codes uh from New York State coming into effect uh by experts, taking all of the lessons of past best to ensure that they're safe. Uh we thank you for creating the best committee to explore this. Um, but we are asking you to once again lead. We've, you know, we spent enough time looking at this to really have this be a motion into the future to ensure that we are building best in the town. Uh, we are already unfortunately seeing some projects being canceled. We're seeing developers move out because of the continued delays in other towns. We don't want to see that happen here. So, we urge you to move forward quickly. Thank you,

Mario Feron. Hi, my name is Mario Ferron and I'm the Long Island organizer for Climate Jobs New York, a coalition of labor unions working to combat climate change. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I just want to start by acknowledging and appreciating the town of Babylon is taken battery energy storage seriously. You formed a best committed set of these projects carefully and thoughtfully. This year, NAERTA has updated the state's battery storage safety regulations, putting New York at the forefront nationally on safety and oversight. Climate Jobs New York would welcome the opportunity to be a resource to the town board and the best committee in collaboration with our academic partners at the Climate Jobs Institute at Cornell's University IRL school. We are happy to help answer questions about how utility scale battery systems work, the safety requirements they must meet, and the role they play in strengthening the electrical grid, reducing outages, and supporting affordable energy. We share the town's goal of getting this right. With clear rules and strong standards, Babylon can lead on safety and reliability while also supporting good union jobs and critical energy infrastructure. Uh, in closing, every energy source carries some risk. The answer is not to close the door on essential technologies, but to ensure strong safeguards and continuous improvement. We believe New York State's updated codes do exactly that. Thank you so much,

Joseph Stallone. Good afternoon, Joseph Stallone, 7 Jeremy Court Center each. Uh however, I'm here on behalf of the New York lead conservation voters here to speak in opposition to an extension of the moratorium on bad energy storage. Uh our organization is determined to see New York move towards a cleaner and more cleaner and more sustainable forms of energy. With the urgent threat of climate change as well as the region's increasing energy demands, it's crucial to build energy infrastructure is both resilient and reliable for our communities. We believe that battery energy storage is a practical solution for storing and using clean energy sources. Uh these systems will help make Long Island's energy systems more resilient, help stabilize the power grid during extreme weather, uh ensuring energy could be utilized when it's needed most. These these systems will help serve the community during excessive heat days, assist in replacing dirty peaker plants that pollute our air, uh support the addition of clean energy into our grid, and help lower the costs of energy for Babylon residents. Um, and we we recognize that there are concerns regarding the safety of these systems, but we also know that between 2017 and 2022, US energy storage deployments have increased by more than 18 times and codes regulating these systems have rapidly evolved to better address these safety concerns. A number of a number of other speakers have mentioned the the New York State Fire Prevention Building Code Council's uh new strict regulations. I'll just add as well that um despite the growing number of best insulations nationwide, the number of fires have decreased by over 98% and air quality during and after these rare events have posed no no risk to public health. These are from the EPA. Um, this coupled with the industry's commitment to proper safety precautions, the town can rest assured knowing that these facilities can be built and operated

safely, especially since other towns across Suffach County have adopted regulations and have been able to build these facilities to support their energy infrastructure and keep rates more affordable for the residents. We ask that you do not extend this battery energy storage moratorum. Instead, put in place codes that will encourage the building of our energy future. And like other speakers have also mentioned, uh, we at NLCV will will probably be a resource and help with that as well. So, thank you for the opportunity to comment today. Thank you, Michelle Cornell.

Uh, good afternoon everyone. My name is Michelle Cornell. I'm proud to call Babylon home and I also work for Hogland Group, a local contractor focused on energy and civil infrastructure projects. Like many of you, I love this town and the family-friendly lifestyle our community offers, and I look forward to continuing to grow my family here. However, this is only possible if we maintain adequate, reliable power, a necessity that we're currently risking falling behind on. Battery energy storage systems, or bests, might not sound important or exciting at first to some, and I felt the same way until I learned how critical they are. Our power grid is under growing stress as businesses expand and families continue to settle here. Coastal communities like ours also face storms and hurricanes, and we all know how devastating and disruptive those can be. Best provides reliable backup power when we need it most. It also unlocks the full potential of renewable energy like solar and wind. And without it, those clean sources can't deliver consistently or up to their full potential. Every battery installed moves us closer to a cleaner, healthier future with stronger communities and even can create more local jobs for our residents. Technology has continued to evolve to make BES a very safe source of power. Safety is at the core of every project to ensure the protection of workers and neighborhoods. Think about it. We carry lithium batteries on us all day in our phones, laptops, watches, and cars. Battery energy storage systems incorporate advanced monitoring systems and meet rigorous state and national codes and are built much safer than they once were. What work oops, sorry. What worked in the past will not be sustainable forever as our communities are growing and our demand is increasing. In order to protect our community, change is often necessary and in this case implementing best will extend resiliency, reliability, and ultimately opportunity for our region to continue to thrive. Thank you for your time and consideration and happy holidays.

You too. Thank you. Uh Joe Min.

Good afternoon. Good afternoon, Mr. Supervisor Board. Thank you for hearing me. Name and address.

Yeah, sure. My name is Joe Mo. I live in Babylon, uh 98 Midway. Um I lived in Babylon for 29 years. I'm a Navy veteran and work with power generation business for over 40 years. Um I retired from the New York Power Authority. uh the 30 years of service with them. I manage two gas turbines on Long Island. Um for my my tenure there, I now work for Hogan Energy and um I'm I'm a project manager for them. I'm presently working on uh the Sunrise Wind onshore and offshore projects and I recently finished working on the South Fork wind project. So these two wind turbine facilities are going to generate over a thousand megawatts to feed Nassau and Suffach County. Um, electricity years ago used to be a used or loser commodity, right? If you didn't use it, you lost it and it was wasteful. So, back in the day, they created hydro facilities and they were able to store energy in reservoirs, right? And they would use the water and and and gravity to create electricity through turbines and use it whenever it was needed. So now, battery energy storage systems will create a reservoir of instant energy for peak needs, peak energy needs on Long Island. Um, best also allows the grid to use the battery energy, lessen the fuel burn for larger units and decrease the need for peaker units to start up. They can use the battery storage and it's instant power, right? You don't have to ramp it up. You say, I want the power 40 megawatt, 30 megawatts, whatever the unit has available. Um, all modern electric grids are dynamic. Um, and improved technology that serve the public is growing and extremely fast pace. Uh wind technology is coming to Long Island. We can't stop the wind. We can use the surplus generation during the low energy needs on Long Island to charge the battery systems. The grid will then take advantage of the clean battery energy to support power during peak periods and this makes good economic environmental sense. Um all great improvements in technology started with an idea and a need. There have always been failures along the way to

success, but we've improved this already. All right. Uh safety wise, vest has been around for years, about a decade or so, and it's maturing and becoming more successful and safer every day. Um this is the time for a smart electric grid on Long Island, and I believe battery storage is a key piece of that puzzle. Um I did a little investigation and right now in the United States, there's about 40 gigawatts worth of uh 40 gawatt hours worth of energy in battery storage systems right now in the country. So we should get on board. Thank you. Ives.

Hi, my name is Diane Ives 485 East Drive COPEG. Uh we need to have Ben energy battery energy storage systems because number one they save energy because during peak demand in summer they can provide the backup power we need instead of burning more gas by firing up another power plant. You see what's happening in Washington state and we certainly don't want another Sandy. And number two, we need it to store power from energy from new renewable energy sources from wind and solar like our offshore wind projects. So I think we're afraid to be the first one on the block, but if we do it right, maybe we could be the one to set the example. But we have to do it right. So, I attended a best meeting in Brook Haven Town a few months ago and I was reassured that the systems are strictly regulated and even more so from what I've heard this morning. I'm reassured. So, we need to follow the safety guidelines and regulations from start to finish from the bidding to construction and maintenance and monitoring and trust our town officials to be there every step of the way because they really care about us. even if it means specifying a committee of officials and citizens to oversee it, which it sounds like they've done. So, it makes me feel more much more reassured.

Thank you. Thank you, Joanna Rio.

Hello. Good afternoon. My name is Johanna Ryu. I live at 475 North Wellwood Avenue here in Londonhurst. Um I'm here to speak on behalf of lifting moratorum on battery storage. I believe renewable energy is important to our future and battery storage is a critical piece of that uh infrastructure. It also stabilizes our grid, drives down energy prices and prevents blackouts. The technology is ready. Let's let Suffach County and the town of Babylon lead in transitioning here on Long Island to re to a renewable future. Our county and town has led in other environmental ways. I advocate for us to lead in these efforts as well. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay. I don't have anybody else wish to speak on the this public hearing. Seeing none, I take a motion to close and reserve by Councilman, second by Counciloman Martinez. All those in favor?

Opposed? Hearing is closed. decision reserve. Second public hearing is public hearing to consider amending the code of the town of Bablin chapter 195 taxation article 9 exemption for firsttime home buyers. I don't have any cards. Take a motion from Councilman Martinez. Second by Councilman McWeeny to close and reserve. All those in favor? Opposed. Hearing is closed. Decision reserve. Third public hearing is public hearing reference to amending chapter 2 article 4 section 2-8 of the ten of Bablin uniform code of traffic ordinances. Don't have any cards. So I'll take a motion from Councilman Mcweeny. Second by Councilman Gregory to Those in reserve. All those in favor?

Opposed? Hearing is closed. Decision reserve. Fourth public hearings. Public hearing reference amending chapter 3 article three section 3-4 the town of Bablin uniform code of traffic ordinances. No cards. So take a motion from Councilman Gregory. Second by Councilman Beneda. Close and reserve. All those in favor?

Opposed? Hearing is closed. Decision reserve. That's it for the public hearings. We'll go into the agenda. I don't have any Hello Lauren. I don't um do you want wish to speak on the agenda? Oh, um I've known Lauren for longer than we have to say. So, love you too. Um so, we'll go into the agenda. Consensus resolution agenda. Are there any items that need to be removed from the consensus resolution agenda? Seeing none, take a motion. I make a motion to uh accept the consensus resolutions agenda. Second.

All those in favor? Opposed? Since this resolution agenda is adopted as listed, today's resolutions resolution 839. I offer resolution 839. Second. All those in favor? Opposed? Resolution's approved. Resolution 840. For resolution 840, second. All in favor? Opposed? Resolutions approve. Resolution 841. Make a motion to approve. Second. All in favor? Opposed? Resolutions approve. Resolution 842. I for resolution 842. Second. All in favor? Opposed? Resolutions approve. Resolution 843. for 843. Second. All in favor? Opposed? Resolutions approve. Resolution 844. Resolution 844. Second. All in favor? Oppos? Resolutions approve. Resolution 845. Make a motion to approve. Second.

Would the clerk call the role? Councilman Manetta. Yes. Councilman Martinez, yes. Councilman Mcweeny, Councilman Gregory, yes. Supervisor Schaer, yes. Resolutions approved. Four votes in favor, one abstension. Resolution 846. I for 846. Second. All in favor? Opposed? Resolutions approved. Resolution 847. I offer resolution 847. Second. All in favor? Opposed? Resolution's approved. I'll offer resolution 848. I second. All those in favor? Opposed? Resolution's approved. That's for the resolutions. I don't have any cards on the open. Anyone wish to address the board? None. Take motion to adjurnn from council mweeny. Second by council meadow. All those in favor. Opposed. Meeting is adjourned. Thank you. Thank