2022-01-25-SLC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Sustainable Lexington Committee Minutes of January 25, 2022 Bike/pedestrian Plan discussion. Todd reminded us that on the committee's behalf he wrote a letter of support for a $65K allocation for a bicycle/pedestrian plan. Betty Gau explained that the funds have been included in Article 12 (capital improvements) as item B. The Bicycle Advisory Committee and Greenways Corridor Committee will be issuing statements of support; the SLC could support theirs or write our own. Betty will return in February to update us. Annual Town Meeting articles: Zero Waste Resolution. Hien and Janet presented a summary of the issues (environmental justice and rising environmental and financial costs) and proposal. Questions and discussion followed on several topics including barriers to zero waste, the impact of the resolution on DPW, and opportunities for regional cooperation. The committee voted unanimously to endorse the article. Residential Zoning/Clean Heat. Cindy walked us through the proposal, noting that it is intended to build on what TM passed last year. The state has still not produced a draft net-zero stretch energy code, and it's not clear when we'll get there. The proposal's essence is to reduce the gross floor area(GFA) allowance for buildings that don't meet energy efficiency and clean energy standards, and then permit increases (in two stages) for homes that do. Questions and discussions followed, with concerns expressed about the growing use of propane, avoiding making older homes nonconforming, and use of toxic spray foam to meet passive house standards. The committee voted unanimously to endorse the article. Building _Energy Use Disclosure (BEU-D).Use Disclosure (BEU-D). Todd walked us through the proposed by-law. It would apply to approximately 120 buildings in town that are either over 25,000 square feet or contain more than 25 units, and would require an annual report on energy use, from which the town could calculate emissions intensity. Implementation could be outsourced ($70K sufficient) or done internally. Rick noted that if we outsource the initial implementation, it should be part of the contract to train town staff to do it in subsequent years. Celis asked if it would be possible to track the source of the electricity each building uses as well, as another important indicator of emissions impact. The committee voted unanimously to endorse the article. Staff updates. Todd spoke from Martha's notes, as she had to leave early for another meeting. Our sustainability intern (Eloise) from France has arrived. The planning grant with EEOA for the Climate Action Plan is signed and the subcontract with MAPC is in the works. The Sustainability Officer position has been readvertised and interviews are being set up for this week. The latter led to a discussion about the title and salary range for the position. The concerns the committee previously expressed may have played a role in the decision of one or more applicants in the first round to turn down the town's offer. Todd will articulate these sentiments again to the Select Board, with a cc to the Town Manager. Open committee seat- status of the process. There are seven candidates for the position. Nick Afshartous (one of them) introduced himself. A miscommunication resulted in the committee not realizing that the Select Board was looking for our feedback before now. Todd will send out the 2.