By Kevin LaHaise
The following article is reprinted with permission from the Sudbury Weekly 12/8/23 newsletter. Sudbury Weekly is written as a service to Sudbury by resident Kevin LaHaise. Thank you Kevin!
In May of 2022 a Citizen Petition passed at Sudbury’s Annual Town Meeting after much debate. The petition called for the Town to hire a Sustainability Director, declare a climate emergency, and begin long-term planning for sustainability, among other action items.
Prior to the 2022 Annual Town Meeting, the Select Board requested a legal opinion from Town Counsel. That opinion declared that the petition, if passed, would be advisory only:
“In my opinion, were the Climate Emergency Article to be approved, the Charter provisions cited above establish the Town Manager as the exclusive appointing authority for the Sustainability Director position, and therefore the provisions of that article directing the Town Manager to make an appointment would be advisory at best. Town Meeting cannot command the Town Manager to make an appointment that is within the Town Manager’s exclusive discretion.”
Advisory or not, Town Meeting passed the article and sent a message to the Town. Since then, most of the actions called for in Article 58 have been completed. The staff position that was ultimately created was a Sustainability Coordinator role. Eventually, the Town was able to fill the position. Dani Marini-King took the post in early 2023, and got right to work. Select Board Member Jennifer Roberts wrote a profile of Marini-King in a municipal update earlier this year. (Page 27)
Within just a few months of Marini-King joining the Town, the Climate Mobilization Action Plan (CMAP) called for in the 2022 Citizen Petition was finalized and announced. That plan was in development before her arrival, but ultimately contributed to a quick start for the new role.
While the Sustainability Coordinator position was being conceived in 2022, the Town was trying to fill a vacancy in the Combined Facilities Director role. They ultimately hired Sandra Duran, who has been a vocal advocate for sustainability initiatives across Town facilities. Marini-King now works within the Facilities department and reports to Duran.
Once the duo got settled in their roles, Sudbury witnessed a bit of a Cambrian explosion of sustainability initiatives that ranged from long-term strategic plans to EV charging stations and solar roof projects. Other work included pursuing, and winning, grants for net-new initiatives. Much of their sustainability work is done in collaboration with other Town departments and frequently with the Energy and Sustainability Committee. Indeed, some of the initiatives were already on the docket and supported by the Energy and Sustainability Committee, but Duran and Marini-King have brought a new sense of urgency to existing and new initiatives alike.
Sustainability Projects for Days
The variety, scope and scale of sustainability initiatives in Sudbury seems to grow by the month. Duran and Marini-King are layering in a mix of long-term planning like the Net-Zero plan, medium-term projects like the solar roofs on town buildings, and quick wins like LED lighting retrofits at Town buildings.
The portfolio approach is proving to be fruitful, as the CMAP covers a broad range of priorities and needs in Sudbury. (Page 87)
In a July 2023 presentation to the Select Board, Marini-King provided a status update on current sustainability efforts. Those include:
Planning + Management + Community Awareness
- CMAP finalized
- Community Electricity Aggregation Renewed
- No-Mow May Campaign Covered on CBS
- Net-Zero Plan – applied for grant via MAPC.
- Climate Risk Assessment – issued RFP for a consultant.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory – funded by the Energy and Sustainability Committee.
Grants
- Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Grant — secured $95,000 from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to conduct a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) 2.0 planning process and implement a climate resilience seed project. They can access up to $50,000 for a seed project in the second phase.
- The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) applied on behalf of Sudbury for a DOER grant to fund “net-zero scoping and community engagement.”
Projects
- EV Charging Stations – installed at DPW, Police Station. Looking at Goodnow Library next.
- LED retrofits – the Town is soliciting competitive proposals for retrofit work at the Flynn Building, Town Hall, the Goodnow Library, Fire Department Headquarters, and fire stations 2 and 3.
- Solar Roofs – they are actively working on solar efforts for the Fairbank Community Center, Department of Public Works building, Fire Station 2.
Just this week, the Town took delivery of an electric vehicle for the Department of Public Works… a Ford F-150 Lightning, which replaces a much older and far less efficient vehicle.
Bottom-Line Impact
The impact of all this sustainability work in Sudbury usually generates a mix of financial, public health, and broader environmental benefits.
For example, the renewed Community Electricity Aggregation program offers cost savings on electricity for residents no matter what plan they choose. But should a household opt for the Sudbury Plus plan, they’ll not only save over the Eversource basic rate this winter, they would maximize their support for renewable energy in Massachusetts.
Many of the solar and infrastructure projects in play in Sudbury could reduce Town utility bills, possibly freeing up budgets for other priorities. And yet other projects would make the Town eligible to pursue grant money that would fund or subsidize some of Sudbury’s sustainability efforts.
One notable upcoming project is the Facility Condition Assessment, which Duran has cited frequently in committee meetings. That assessment is expected to be foundational to planning for future energy and sustainability investments.
Whether it’s HVAC equipment that is aging and inefficient, roofs that need replacing but could simultaneously be made solar-ready, or drafty old buildings that could benefit from winterization, the Facility Condition Assessment is going to give Duran a baseline understanding of the issues at each Town facility, and the ability to prioritize projects over the course of years and decades. That project was funded at Annual Town Meeting in May 2023 (Article 27), and is expected to kick off with a consultant in 2024.
Where Does Sudbury Go From Here?
Energy and Sustainability Committee Chair Rami Alwan has been involved in Sudbury’s sustainability work for well over a decade. He’s had a front row seat to Sudbury’s sustainability successes, as well as its challenges for much of that time. Alwan told Sudbury Weekly that Article 58 was key to focusing the Town’s efforts:
“When we became a Green Community our charge and our focus was to decrease energy usage. We did this quite effectively over about a 15 year period. With the passing of Article 58, it put all of the town on notice that our residents wanted this to be a focus town wide.”
Indeed, Sudbury was a leader amongst its peers in 2010. As the Energy and Sustainability Committee website says:
“In 2010, Sudbury was one of the first in a group of 35 municipalities to be designated as a Green Community. The Town benefited from grants and incentives to fund energy conservation measures, lighting, weatherization, and rooftop unit replacement in municipal facilities including Goodnow Library, the DPW Building, the Public Safety Complex, Town Hall, and the Center Office Building.”
While Sudbury has been a leader on sustainability, progress hasn’t always come easy. One of the challenges in municipal work is building consensus with multiple boards and committees, as well as Town staff, the public and Town Meeting. But that community consensus seems to be emerging, all while the ambition and know-how of the Energy and Sustainability Committee expands according to Alwan:
“Recently the committee’s membership has shifted to folks who are much more in the sustainability field. With that our focus has shifted as well. We are still doing straight energy projects, like roofs, boilers, and solar arrays, while also looking to understand what Sudbury needs to do as a town to be a safe and sustainable community into the future. Our latest two projects will hopefully be a guide for the town for sustainability into the next decade.”
As Sudbury steps up its sustainability game, the role and work of a Sustainability Coordinator and Combined Facilities Director demonstrates the difference between talking about sustainability and prioritizing it. Turning words into action has, in many ways, been the key to unlocking recent progress. The Energy and Sustainability Committee didn’t just support the creation of the Sustainability position, the committee funded it in an agreement with the Town that would ratchet down their contribution over several years, making it easier for the Town to work the position into the annual budget.
While creating and funding the position was key, it wouldn’t amount to much if the Town wasn’t moving the sustainability ball forward for Sudbury. Alwan was enthusiastic about what he has been seeing from Sustainability Coordinator Dani Marini-King:
“Lastly, we did hire the best. Dani’s energy and enthusiasm has been a boon to us all. We on the committee are all volunteers and can only do so much. To have her working on this mission every day cannot go understated.”
Sustainable Sudbury, a local nonprofit that was a key backer of Article 58, is similarly enthusiastic about what they have been seeing since the article passed at Town Meeting in 2022. The Sustainable Sudbury Steering Committee told Sudbury Weekly:
“Sudbury is so lucky to have the team that has been assembled since Article 58, (with its mandate to hire a Sustainability Director and to create a climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)), was passed. Dani Marini-King, Sandra Duran, Andy Sheehan and the Energy and Sustainability Committee who have been collaborating successfully in their efforts to address Sudbury’s sustainability goals. Dani has already procured grants and found outside monies to fund a town wide GHG baseline measurement of municipal, business and residential emissions, a crucial first step. A Climate Mitigation Action Plan was created within a year after Article 58 passed. Sincere appreciation is owed to the Energy and Sustainability Committee, who has successfully shepherded our latest electricity community aggregation plan, which in the last negotiation had over 5800 households enrolled in 100% Renewable Electricity and 90 households opting up to 100% Local NE Renewable electricity – https://sudbury-cea.com/. That said, there is still so much to do if Sudbury is to meet the state goal of reducing GHG by 50 % by 2030. That is a daunting goal.”
While that goal may be daunting, Sustainable Sudbury isn’t shying away from the challenge. In fact, they are looking to engage even more residents in the effort:
“Sustainable Sudbury continues to advocate for proactive policies and choices that address our climate disaster vulnerabilities, and responsible stewardship of our town land and resources, including streamlining waste management in town and at the schools; educational events at Goodnow for adults and families on specific actions that could improve sustainability; how to make sure GHG emissions are considered early in the planning process for buildings and replacement of vehicles; evaluating what is the best use of our limited money to effect GHG reduction; identifying how to approach the problem of gas powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers; cleaning up our waterways; locating and stopping gas leaks; increasing the # of households who choose to opt up to 100% local renewable electricity through Sudbury’s CEA – https://sudbury-cea.com/; thinking through how to get across to residents and Sudbury Committees and Departments that we all need to have a stronger sense of urgency and ownership about what we each can do to bring down our GHG. But though we care mightily, we need more person power to get more of these great ideas implemented and more broadly embraced. For those interested or concerned or even scared – come to our monthly meetings, the 2nd Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm, at First Parish, and read the Climate Mobilization Action Plan, particularly pgs 50-55, Future Initiatives: https://sudbury.ma.us/energy/2023/06/27/the-roadmap-to-climate-resilience/.”
Much of the momentum in Sudbury appears to be the byproduct of long-term advocacy, growing urgency, and also a series of wins delivered by Town staff in collaboration with committees and interest groups. Building momentum may not be easy, but results often lead to more results. With dedicated staffing, engaged residents and a roadmap in-hand, there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the Town’s ability to deliver on the lofty goals of the Climate Mobilization Action Plan, and the work continues.