Webster Town Board
August 21, 2025
A workshop meeting of the Webster Town Board was called to order by Deputy Supervisor
Cataldi at 6:30 p.m. at the Webster Town Board Meeting Room, 1002 Ridge Road, Webster,
New York, with the following officials present:
Councilwoman ........................................................................... Patricia T. Cataldi
Councilman....................................................................................... John J. Cahill
Councilwoman ............................................................................ Ginny L. Nguyen
Councilwoman ...........................................................................Jennifer S. Wright
Attorney for the Town .........................................................................Kyle Taylor
Town Clerk .................................................................................. Danene M. Marr
Absent:
Supervisor ................................................................................ Thomas J. Flaherty
Department Heads Present:
Finance Director ..................................................................................Paul Adams
Community Development Director ..................................................... Josh Artuso
Town Engineer .............................................................................. Keith Mortimer
Also in attendance was Rick Kenealy, Wastewater Treatment Plant Chief Operator.
***
Caitlyn Parsons and James Sardo, Town of Webster Engineering/Community Development
Summer Interns, came before the Town Board to present their efforts over the past several
months. Over the summer, the interns conducted a wide range of environmental and
infrastructure inspections for the Town. They inspected 113 stormwater ponds to ensure they
were functioning properly, using tools like utility maps and Survey123 to document features and
produce reports. Easement access was also verified using as-built drawings. Additionally, the
interns surveyed 78 wooded areas to identify wood lots that met EPOD (Environmental
Protection Overlay District) standards. Ultimately, seventy-five qualified areas and updated GIS
maps were created to reflect these findings, showing an increase in EPOD land from
approximately 2,600 to 3,000 acres.
GIS mapping played a major role in the summer work. Intern Caitlyn developed 11 maps for
various internal departments, grant applications, and public projects. For example, she created a
map for the Webster Central School District to help students locate their late bus routes. She
also worked on improving the Town’s public-facing GIS interface by coding interactive maps
and adding reference layers. The interns also performed ten SWPPP (Stormwater Pollution
Prevention Plan) site inspections to ensure compliance with erosion control regulations. They
looked for signs of pollution and verified the use of best management practices like silt fences
and sediment control equipment.
In addition to pond and SWPPP inspections, they conducted nine sewer/storm lateral inspections
and eight downspout inspections at construction sites, checking pitch and installation standards.
Both interns reflected on their experiences, highlighting what they enjoyed and learned. James
appreciated learning about environmental science in a governmental context, especially through
pond inspections and interacting with wildlife. Caitlyn enjoyed working on the GIS maps and
discovered she preferred office-based tasks. Their efforts helped the Town update critical
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environmental data and provided valuable career insights. The Town Board members expressed
deep appreciation for the interns' contributions and noted how beneficial the internship program
has become since its launch a few years ago.
***
Bob Wimmer and Roberto Dabbas, representatives from Navitas, came before the Town Board
to discuss Water Pollution Control Facility Biogas Tax Credit Opportunity. A new tax credit
grant opportunity is available for the Town through a Federal program tied to biogas produced at
the Wastewater Treatment Plant. This opportunity emerged from recent legislation and could
provide significant financial benefits if pursued. Biogas, or digester gas, comes from the
anaerobic digesters at the plant. A major facility upgrade included adding a new one-milliongallon anaerobic digester, which converts solid material into gas. The feedstock includes
primary sludge, waste-activated sludge, and high-strength organic waste such as food production
byproducts. This gas is primarily composed of methane—around 60 to 70 percent—along with
significant water vapor and about 30 to 40 percent carbon dioxide. Previously, this gas was
burned off or flared for safety and regulatory compliance, which meant no financial benefit from
most of the production.
Upgrades now allow some of the gas to be used in boilers to heat the digesters and the facility,
reducing natural gas purchases by about 47 percent. However, the remaining 53 percent of gas is
still flared, creating no revenue. The Town now has an opportunity to monetize this excess gas.
Possible uses include reducing utility costs, generating revenue, and serving as a marketing tool
to attract businesses. Most importantly, the gas can make the Town eligible for federal tax
credits or direct grants under the Inflation Reduction Act.
When the current project began, these credits did not exist. They became available after
legislation passed in late 2022 and IRS regulations were finalized in 2023. This creates an
opportunity to retroactively include qualifying components of the current wastewater project in
the credit calculation. There are two primary options for utilizing the gas: combined heat and
power (CHP) to produce electricity and heat or renewable natural gas (RNG) conversion for
injection into the utility gas grid. CHP could save $100,000 to $200,000 annually but requires
about $5 million in capital investment. The RNG option could generate $300,000 to $600,000
per year in revenue but comes with higher costs—around $9 million in capital investment—due
to complex cleaning and processing requirements. Both options would make the Town eligible
for tax credits. RNG systems use containerized equipment to remove carbon dioxide and other
impurities, producing pipeline-quality natural gas. This option is often attractive to industries
seeking sustainability benefits, similar to how the Town attracted fairlife due to its nutrient
recycling system.
fairlife specifically valued Webster’s ability to process waste and produce fertilizer for local
farms, creating a closed-loop system. These kinds of sustainability features can help attract other
companies to the Xerox property and surrounding areas, boosting local economic development.
The Federal program offers a 40 percent tax credit—or, for municipalities, an equivalent direct
grant—on eligible project costs under Section 6417 of the Inflation Reduction Act. Since Towns
do not pay taxes, this refundable credit provides cash payments instead of tax offsets.
Eligibility depends on having a biogas-to-energy system in operation and meeting certain
construction and permitting requirements. The application is filed the year after the system goes
into service, which would likely be 2027 or 2028 for Webster. To qualify, the project must have
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begun construction by the end of 2024 - a requirement already satisfied by the ongoing upgrades.
This opens the door for including past investments in the credit calculation. Roughly $26.8
million of existing project costs could be eligible, potentially returning about $10.7 million
through the tax credit. Adding a CHP or RNG system would also qualify, generating an
additional $1.6 million to $3.6 million in credits on top of energy savings or revenue.
Financial scenarios vary, worst case—if legislation changes and credits vanish—the $5 million
CHP Project would extend debt service and create a small annual cost increase. Best case - if
RNG proceeds with full credits—the Town could reduce bonding by $5.3 million and save about
$760,000 annually. There are still risks, primarily tied to future federal policy changes.
However, third-party firms can provide tax opinion letters to confirm eligibility, reducing
uncertainty. These services cost around $25,000 to $30,000 and would be necessary before
proceeding.
Engineering, permitting, and interconnection fees—such as RG&E’s estimated $1.5 million
charge—are included in the cost estimates. The earliest construction start would need to occur
by mid-2026 to maintain eligibility. Current project timelines remain on track to handle fairlife’s
flows by end of August 2025, independent of whether the gas project moves forward. fairlife
will begin sending wastewater gradually starting in January 2026.
Next steps include further Board review, consulting with legal and financial experts, and
deciding whether to proceed with detailed engineering and external qualification reviews.
Additional meetings will address outstanding questions.
In summary, this opportunity could significantly reduce long-term costs and debt while
generating new revenue streams. It hinges on leveraging the Federal Tax Credit Program, which
transforms a previously unviable concept into a potentially game-changing project for the Town.
***
There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at
7:27 p.m.
____________________________________
Danene M. Marr, Town Clerk
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