Here is a recording of our meeting and conference at the League of Municipalities office on November 12, 2014 as a briefing for speakers at the League Conference in Atlantic City November 18-20 and for local officials generally.

The call was largely an update about the recently agreed-to language of amending legislation now before the NJ Legislature, sponsored by Senator Bob Smith and Assemblyman Raj Mukherji (as S1510 / A2579). These bills will accomplish several key things:

First, they will expand PACE to cover water conservation, hurricane-resistant construction, flood proofing, and other resiliency property improvements (in addition to the current clean energy improvements, including both renewables and conservation),

Second, they will add private direct financing of PACE projects as an alternative to the current municipal or county improvement authority bonding,

Third, they will explicitly permit third-party administration of PACE programs, without preventing a town’s authorizing of multiple programs, and

Fourth, they will provide for a more focused and more traditional role for the Division of Local Government Services.

For those who missed it, here is the recording: