GENERAL ORDINANCE
BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT COLLINS-BELLAMY, MAJORITY LEADER RUBBO, MAJORITY WHIP NORMAN, MINORITY LEADER BREEN, COUNCILMEMBERS PINEDA-ISAAC, DIAZ, AND MERANTE:
title
GENERAL ORDINANCE EXTENDING THE TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS WITHIN THE CITY OF YONKERS PENDING APPROPRIATE REVIEW
body
The City Council of the City of Yonkers does hereby ordain and enact as follows:
Section 1. Background, Purpose, Intent, and Findings
General Ordinance 08-2024, which was adopted by the City Council of the City of Yonkers (the "City Council") on July 16, 2024, established a temporary moratorium on battery energy storage systems ("BESS") within the City of Yonkers (the "City") pending appropriate review. As described more fully in General Ordinance 08-2024, the temporary moratorium was established for the purpose of providing the City sufficient time to adequately study BESS, which have myriad associated impacts including fire, chemical release, standard energy hazards, and noise, and prepare appropriate regulations concerning BESS within the City. General Ordinance 08-2024 established the temporary moratorium for a period of 180 days and authorized the extension of the temporary moratorium for an additional 180 days if deemed by the City Council to be necessary to carry out the stated purpose of the ordinance.
General Ordinance 01-2025, which was adopted by the City Council on January 14, 2025, extended the temporary moratorium on BESS established by General Ordinance 08-2024 for an additional 180 days for the purpose of carrying out the objectives and purpose set forth in General Ordinance 08-2024.
During the pendency of the temporary moratorium, in furtherance of the stated objectives and purpose of General Ordinance 08-2024, the City issued a request for proposals for a consultant to assist the City with studying and preparing appropriate regulations concerning BESS (the "Work") and selected and retained a consultant to perform this...
Click here for full text