Environmental Action Committee

Meeting date: 
Thursday, November 18, 2021

Town of Princeton

Environmental Action Committee (EAC)

Meeting Minutes November 18, 2021

 

Meeting called to order at 7:04 pm

 

Committee members present (in person):

Charlie Cary (CC), Philip Gott (PG), Forrest Iwanik (FI)

Chris Samoiloff (CS) arrived at 7:33, Matthew Charpentier (MC)

 

Committee members present via remote: Claire Golding (CG)

 

Committee members absent: Corey Burnham-Howard (CBH)

 

Student Committee members present: Paul Fuchs (PF)

 

Student Committee members absent: Anna White (AW)

 

Associate members present via remote: Caitlan Davis (CD)

 

Also present (via remote): Helga Lyons, Advisory Committee EAC Liaison; Dot Odgren, President of the Wachusett Garden Club

 

Public Comment: Dan Ervin attended in interest of learning more regarding EAC efforts

 

Review & Approve Minutes from October 21, 2021 Meeting:

  • Vote to approve minutes from Oct. 21 delayed to the December meeting to allow more time for review.

 

Updates on Initiatives:

 

PMLD

  • PG provided update. (See attached notes.)
  • PG discussed a pilot program in Groton MA which enabled residents to take advantage of Net/Time of day metering.

 

Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP)

  • PG  emailed Sherry, Ben Metcalf, and Chief Bennet to remind them of the upcoming deadline
  • The Town can only receive feedback through this upcoming spring.

 

Public Safety Building (PSB)

  • PG provided update.  (See attached notes.)

 

Noise Bylaw

  • The Planning Board is investigating other towns bylaws to determine potential options for establishing a noise bylaw in Princeton.

 

Town Draft Snow and Ice Policy

  • No updates

 

Green Communities Designation Application

  • Sara Adams submitted a funding request for $43,400.00
  • There remains an option to revise the RFP to include dark sky lighting
  • No updates on status of the funds
  • Corey and Phil will take over the monthly meetings with Sherry

 

PFAS Information Sharing

  • MC received approval by the Selectboard to maintain involvement in PFAS efforts
  • PG brought up news of the Town’s approval of the recent PFAS warrant article.
  • Dan Ervin spoke regarding an issue of clarity in the Green News PFAS article and expressed gratitude for the EAC’s work

 - the EAC is seeking the opinion of Town Counsel as to how to proceed (whether we ought to correct the language in the article on PFAS in The Green News for clarity)

 

Environmental Speaker Series

  • CS is awaiting the bios of Hillary King and Dani Marini prior to sending out a notice and creating a flyer
  • CS planned to write something up for the Town Newsletter requesting suggestions for future speakers.

 

Light Pollution

  • CG suggested we plan to discuss outreach for the January meeting

 

Waste and Recycling

  • CG reported that this effort is mostly stalled out until January
  • CG suggested we work on a plan for outreach and communication to residents & businesses regarding recycling options.
    • FI & MC volunteered to assist

 

Curbside Composting

  • AW not present
  • FI suggested we look into compost bin tumblers as a backyard solution
    • it was noted these are available through the Wachusett Recycling Center

 

Native Plant Sales with Wachusett Garden Club

  • Dot Odgren provided background and an update regarding the development of the list of which plant species to offer based on their value to wildlife.

 

Tool Lending Library

  • CC is training to use an infrared camera which detects heat leaks in buildings. The idea is that people can sign up to have their buildings photographed so that they can determine where the heat is escaping from, and can in turn make their homes more energy efficient. Kill-A- Watt meter is also being offered for residential use.

 

 

New EAC Initiatives

 

Integrated Pest Management

  • FI and MC volunteered to spearhead this initiative. CS expressed willingness to assist and suggested CBH may also want to be involved more actively.

 

Mosquito Spraying

  • CG and CS volunteered to spearhead this initiative. It was suggested that CBH may want to be involved.

 

Cannabis Cultivation

  • EAC discussed whether this is something in which we should get involved.
  • CG suggested we may become involved by sharing factual information
  • CC suggested we postpone consideration until after the December 6th public outreach meeting being held by the cultivation facility applicants.

 

Communications/Newsletter/Webpages

  • CS provided updates.
    • Newsletter
      • EAC members discussed potential newsletter topics
      •  MC and Dot Odgren volunteered to do a newsletter, potentially in April, on wildflowers and vernal pools
    • EAC members suggested to include in the Town Update:
      • CC infrared camera
      • to use as an opportunity to solicit ideas for the Environmental Speaker Series.

           

 

Agenda Items for Next Meeting (December 16, 2021 at 7p)

  • Public Comment
  • Review and Approve Minutes of October 21 and November 18, 2021
  • Updates on On-Going Initiatives: Green Communities; MVP; PMLD (including energy savings tool lending library); PSB; PFAS; Waste & Recycling Committee; Curbside Composting; Native Plant Sales; Snow & Ice Policy; Light Pollution; Noise Bylaw; Environmental Speaker Series
  • New Initiatives: Available Wood; Mosquito Spraying Opt-Out; Integrated Pest and Weed Management Policy
  • Communications/Newsletter/Webpage Updates and Needs
  • Agenda items for Next Meeting

 

Meeting adjourned at 9:02p.m.

                  MOTION to adjourn.

                  All voted in favor

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Matthew Charpentier

 

Meeting Report

PMLD Board of Commissioners

November 10, 2021

This report provides a summary of This PMLD meeting on points relevant to the Princeton EAC.

EV charging: Sean is going to explore the possibility of putting one or more level 2 chargers at the Wachusett Mountain State Park parking area.  This must be approved at the State level.  Local staff appear “unofficially” favorable

Electric Lawn and Garden equipment: David Pratt thought PMLD ought to be promoting the use of electric lawn and garden equipment.  We discussed the idea of rebates for the purchase of large power equipment such as lawn mowers.  Rebates on smaller equipment such as chain saws were thought to be financially unsound from a PMLD ratepayer point of view. Sean to explore this with MMWEC. (Subsequent to the meeting, MMWEC does have a rebate program for lawn and garden equipment.  To be discussed at the next meeting.)

Commercial Heat Pumps will receive a rebate of 10% of the system cost, up to $500 per meter.  The commercial heat pump program will have a cap of $20,000 per year.

Sustainability. 

  • PMLD Strategic Plan to be expanded to have four objectives: Safe, Reliable, Competitively Priced and Sustainable electric power. Sustainable being added.
  • Continued discussions about how to meet or exceed the 2030 and beyond requirements.  Exploration of community solar at the old landfill site will begin.  There was some discussion about trying to expand that into the adjacent abandoned sand and gravel pit now owned by DEP.
  • It was noted that the Town will have to put out an RFP for a community solar program as the Town owns the land.  PMLD will do the interconnect and buy some or all of the power.  PMLD will not want to own and/or operate the facility at this time.
  • Peaking Shaving: The generator and voluntary power cuts backs saved a net $142,650 for the year in Power, Transmission and Capacity charges All peaks were shaved in May, June, July and August.  We will likely do this again next year.  Long term we would prefer to have a battery storage system to accomplish this.
  • There was discussion of net and time of day metering and solar policy.  The Groton system and their findings on net savings with a 4-40 rate were discussed. In a trial program, about 1/3 of customers saved money, 1/3 stayed the same, 1/3 of consumers had their power costs increase, the last because they made no changes in the times they used power. See attached notes from the MMWEC conference for details.  Conversion over to such metering is costly as both new meters and communications systems must be installed.
  • Discussions with Nextera continue.  It was noted that our fixed-rate for power may be beneficial this winter as local market prices for power may exceed what we pay Nextera (potentially making our rates lower than the Winter rates of the IOUs).