Progress 4 Peekskill Slate Unveils ‘Ambitious and Achievable’ Environmental Platform
The Progress 4 Peekskill slate of Democrats running for Peekskill Mayor and Common Council have released the “forward-thinking” environmental segment of their campaign platform.
The four members of the slate — Conor Greene, Councilwoman Vanessa Agudelo, Amy Perlow and Amy Vele — worked with local activists and experts to develop a platform that they maintained is “both bold and immediately actionable.”
Some of the plan’s highlights include:
- Achieving Climate Smart Community status, making the city eligible for state and federal funding streams;
- Working to decrease truck traffic on Main Street;
- Beginning talks to phase out Wheelabrator;
- Passing a citywide tree ordinance;
- Creating a new Master Plan to replace the current 1968 version;
- Establishing a Sustainability Task Force of city employees, residents and elected officials;
- Creating pocket parks and new green space;
- Creating a network of bike lanes and bike parking.
“Protecting our natural resources and collective health is absolutely paramount. We are offering a strong, clear vision for a greener and more sustainable future, and steps we can take as a city to reach that goal,” said Greene, who is running for mayor. “This plan is both ambitious and achievable and underscores the urgency of taking aggressive action now to address climate change.”
“The impacts of climate change are undeniable and, as an environmental community, will be felt most harshly by our already at-risk families,” said Agudelo. “Building a greener, more resilient and sustainable city that works for all of its residents should be the standard for Peekskill — and the time to act is now.”
Progress 4 Peekskill held a voter outreach in downtown Peekskill Saturday, handing out campaign literature for the June primary.
“I am thrilled to get behind a platform that centers the voices of scientists, educators, and climate change experts who have spent years on the front lines of the fight for environmental justice,” said Perlow. “This plan will make a real impact in the short and long-term, from cleaning our streets to enforcing green building policies.”
“Protecting the environment has always been important to me and I’m proud to be running on a slate that understands the importance of taking the right steps to combat climate change. Our environmental platform lays out how we’re going to protect Peekskill’s natural beauty,” Vele said.
The full plan can be accessed at https://progressforpeekskill.com/environment/.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
