Community Solar Administrator to Correct their Mailing Issue

Please see also below a message from Town Supervisor Bill Smith.

COMMUNITY SOLAR ADMINISTRATOR TO CORRECT PROBLEM WITH MAILING FOR PUBLIC MEETING
Another meeting to be scheduled and additional mailing sent
The third-party Administrator for our Community Solar plan, Joule Community Power/Roctricity, was supposed to have sent a letter to all Pittsford households, about an initial public meeting on the program, in time for delivery well before the scheduled meeting date of December 16.  The letters never arrived in time, because the Administrator used bulk mail.  The same thing happened in Irondequoit, which is using the same Administrator.  Because the letters arrived extremely late, many of you may have missed the public information session.  Supervisor Smith has required Joule/Roctricity to hold a second public meeting.  This time the Town will oversee the mailing, which will be by first class mail, to be paid for by Joule/Roctricity, just as they paid for the first mailing.  The date of the meeting is being finalized now; as with the December 16 meeting, it will be online.  The Town will also publicize the meeting on the Town website, on social media and in our eNews. 
 
If you would like to view the recording of the December 16 meeting, you can find it here: https://presskithero.com/p/mcp/videos. 
 
In the weeks ahead, we will be posting online the answers to frequently asked questions and other information about the program; visit Supervisor Smith’s Facebook page and the Town Facebook page, as well as the Town’s Community Solar web page www.townofpittsford.org/community-solar-pittsford.  As always, should you have any specific questions, please call the program helpline directly at (585) 244-0244.
 
Our community solar program allows the residents and small businesses of the Town of Pittsford to subscribe to a local solar farm and save up to 10% on electric bills, while supporting local renewable energy generation.  We appreciate your understanding as we work with Joule to ensure you have the information you need to take advantage of our Community Solar program, the next step in Pittsford’s long legacy of commitment to a healthy and sustainable environment.

Message from Town Supervisor Bill Smith:

MISTAKE BY COMMUNITY SOLAR ADMINISTRATOR
The third-party Administrator for our Community Solar plan, Joule Community Power/Roctricity, was supposed to have sent a letter to all Pittsford households, about an initial Zoom public meeting on the program, in time for delivery well before the scheduled meeting date of December 16. For this purpose the Town furnished Joule/Roctricity with the final form of camera-ready letter on November 23.
 
The letters never arrived in time, because the Administrator used bulk mail, instead of First Class as it should have, and as we expected. The same thing happened in Irondequoit, which is using the same Administrator.
 
When we hadn’t seen the letters by December 3, I asked the Administrator when they would arrive. They said it hadn’t been mailed yet, but would be mailed that day or the next. On December 10, with no letter in sight, I called them about it again. They said it would arrive over the weekend – the weekend before the Wednesday meeting. I was concerned even at that about it being too late.
 
The Zoom meeting took place on December 16. On December 30 we had an email from the Administrator announcing that the letters had started arriving in Pittsford. At that point I had hoped they’d never arrive at all, since it was a signed letter from me, telling people to attend a meeting that had been held two weeks earlier.
 
At least SOME of the letters hit on December 30, and in the days following. Neither I nor my neighbors have received it yet, nor have many people I’ve asked about it.
 
This morning, approximately 200 of the letters arrived here at Town Hall. Each addressed to “Current Resident” at 11 South Main Street – the address of Town Hall.
 
Because the letters arrived extremely late, many of you may have missed the public information session.
 
I’ve required Joule/Roctricity to hold a second public meeting. This time we at the Town will do the mailing, which will be by First Class mail, to be paid for by Joule/Roctricity.

The date of the meeting is being finalized now; it will be online. The Town will also publicize the meeting on the Town website, on social media and in our eNews.
 
If you would like to view the recording of the December 16 meeting, you can find it here: https://presskithero.com/p/mcp/videos.

Bill Smith, Pittsford Town Supervisor