Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: During Climate Week, Governor Hochul Provides Update on $15.6 Million Resilience Project to Replace Water Infrastructure and Protect Mirror Lake in the North Country

VIDEO of the Governor's remarks is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here

AUDIO of the Governor's remarks is available here.

PHOTOS are available on the Governor's Flickr page.

A rush transcript of Governor's remarks is available below:

Thank you. Thank you very much. I didn't need too much of an excuse to come back here. I was saying I need to get up to the north country. This is such a magnificently beautiful place. Oh, what better place to come than during climate week and to all the local officials who are recognized and my partners in economic development, like Jim, ROOST, and our mayor.

Thank you for caring enough about this community to be involved in projects like these and so many others that let people know that this is a place that truly matters and it's worth fighting for and worth protecting. So when I make great announcements on climate week, in other parts of the state, it all ties into the larger narrative of what we can do in government, during this time we are in our positions, however long God gives us the opportunity to serve, to make sure that we're doing everything in our power to ensure the stability of our communities today, but also their longevity into the future for our children and grandchildren. And I'm talking about how we're protecting our environment.

I just came in over the most beautiful mountains in this nation. Saw waterways, lakes, streams, it's stunningly beautiful. And for a second, I had this image of what if this was California today? What if we are losing the beautiful trees and the wildlife and had our homes jeopardized, and we all know what's happening in California is because of the ravages of climate change.

The earth heating up too fast because of man's assault on mother nature for decades and decades. And that has to stop right now. That is the sense of urgency that I bring to causes like fighting for our environment and having smart policies and people like our great commissioner of DEC Basil Seggos. He is truly a visionary and other states are recognizing what we're doing here in the state of New York, as models on how we can deliver clean energy at the same time, we're protecting our environment and doing everything we can as stewards to this wonderful place.

So something like a $15.6 million water infrastructure construction project may not sound real exciting to some people, but I spent 14 years as a local government official. I find this really exciting. I would have loved the opportunity to partner with our state government those many years when I was seeking help to help fund projects, that would deal some of the basics, making sure we have clean water, workable sewer systems for wastewater, etcetera.

But also to tie in the basic infrastructure needs and find an innovative way to address an environmental hazard of water running into, contaminated water, running into this beautiful lake. So we've stopped that with this project right here, and people are going to just always think this is an ordinary parking lot, but you came out here today and have been involved in this.

Know that this is part of our future on how we get to do things smarter to make sure we protect our environment. So, this includes repairs and replacement over 2000 feet of sanitary, sewer, and water supply lines, and includes innovation technology and practice like porous sidewalks, which I'm going to admit are kind of hard to walk on in heels. So next time I'm not going to wear heels when I come to this parking lot, but it's going to capture the storm water runoff that currently now flows into the lake. So thank you. And we're halfway through, we're almost through with this to be completed in 2022 ahead of the big 2023 world university games when we welcome the world here.

And I'm really excited about that.

So just to conclude, I also wanted to check on how our downtowns are doing as we're emerging from the slumber of COVID and I did pop up here. You didn't notice me, I had my baseball hat on and I was sitting in a couple of, well I'll call them restaurants, some of the pubs, some of the breweries, because I do sneak in here periodically and I was really excited to see the vitality, even during the pandemic.

It was actually quite astounding that people from other states and even our own state discovered what all of you as locals have cherished for a long time, that this is a one of a kind lifestyle. The fresh air, the experience of living in the charm of a downtown, but mother nature's finest just over the horizon here, just minutes away.

So it was discovered, I think that was good for the local hotels. Are the hotels doing okay mayor? They're okay. Hotels are good. The restaurants and all the little businesses that I was worried about, that they would struggle. We get to continue to support them. I literally got my start in local government by helping small businesses.

Like my mother's a little flower shop at a community just about this size. And I know there's always threats and anxieties and worry about competition and people going elsewhere. And what about the tourists that we need to keep this economy going? And it's always about balance. This is what we talk about when I'm up here.

It's about the balance of preserving what mother nature has given us, but also making sure we have a vibrant downtown for the people that live here. I'm going to continue fighting to protect that balance. I understand how important it is. You're going to find in me a partner who doesn't just sit there, signing legislation in Albany.

I'm going to be out here continuing to be on the ground because I learned the most from listening to people like you. And that's the kind of government I'm going to have as a hallmark of my administration. We're doing a lot more listening than talking and dictating. So hopefully you're going to feel that you'll know that I'm going to support you 1000%.

I need you to survive and thrive. This community has to do that because this is part of the story I'm telling across the globe, that New York is back and it starts in significant communities like Lake Placid. Thank you very much. And with that, let's hear from our mayor, Art Devlin.