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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006 Sustainable Lexington Task Force Final ReportLEXINGTON .COM. Final Report / Charge for Sustainable Lexington Task Force This report was reviewed at the final meeting of the Sustainable Lexington Scoping Committee, attended by 24 people, on Sept. 11, 2006. The Sustainable Lexington Scoping Committee recommends that a Sustainable Lexington Task Force be created under the 2020 Visioning process to recommend actions that the town may take to mitigate climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 1) The Task Force should consider all aspects and activities of town government and regulations for the potential to promote a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and to consider the actions that would be necessary to achieve that,redution. The Task Force should also consider whether there are specific actions, broadly supported, that would assist the town and individual residents and businesses in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 2) Composition of the Task Force The scoping committee recommends that the Sustainable Lexington Task Force be broadly representative of the community. Specifically, the Task Force should include, to the extent possible, members who can represent the following constituencies, perspectives, and age and demographic characteristics: - a person with a marketing focus or background - a person under 30, representing the younger generation in town - one or more members from the religious community -one or more members of the business community -a representative from the Town Energy Committee -a representative from the Chamber of Commerce -a real estate owner or realtor -a builder or developer - representation from the planning board/selectnien/school committee -an educator - student representatives (high school) -TMMA representative -League of Women Voters representative -Boy Scout/Girl Scout representative -a representative from the Lexington GIobal Warming Action Committee -a representative from Citizens for Lexington Conservation - a representive from a fuel or energy company -a representative of the insurance industry The Task Force should have about 15 members, and invite additional members of the public to attend if interested. 3) Discussion: The scoping committee felt that specific actions undertaken by the town in areas such as energy conservation in town buildings, transportation planning, land use planning and capital budgeting all involve a committment to sustainability. However, nowhere among the committees working on these specific tasks is there a place for a broad overview and vision of what a town - wide committment to sustainability might look like. The Task Force is charged with considering whether a town committment to reduce greenhouse gases might serve as a broad platform for many issues around sustainability, and help define and build public support for the various tasks -ahead. Goals and Measurement The scoping committee felt one of the key benefits of focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions as a platform for addressing broad issues of sustainability is that this approach can identify concrete goals and achieve measurable results. Benefits to the Town The scoping committee identified specific benefits to the Town from establishing goals and measuring progress toward sustainability. Those benefits included lower direct costs from more efficient energy use, reductions in the emissions of greenhouse gasses from municipal activities that contribute to Global Warming, bringing the sustainability perspective into discussions around IF planning and capital development, and the community benefits of public actions that promote sustainability. Benefits to the Private Sector One of the areas the Task Force should consider is whether through education or specific actions they can recommend activities to assist residents and businesses to monitor, and reduce if desireable, their own energy use. Links to similar activities in other Towns in Massachusetts and elsewhere The Task Force should consider whether the benefits to the town and the benefits to the private sector could be achieved through links with other nearby towns or organizations assisting towns with greenhouse gas reductions such as the Cities for Climate Protection Program of ICLEI (an international organization made up exclusively of local governments). In Massachusetts a number of' cities and towns have joined the Cities for Climate Protection Program to gain access to grant funding, to build on a growing body of expertise in reducing greenhouse gasses at the local level, and to draw on benchmarking and measuring tools. Building Broad Support The Scoping Committee recommends that the Task Force adopt a flexible and responsive approach to the broad interests in the community around the issue of sustainability and reductions in greenhouse gasses. Task Force Recommendation Criteria: The Scoping committee felt that the following criteria should be used by the Task Force in making recommendations about sustainability in Lexington: -The cost to the town, if any, must be identified, and the specific benefits that would accrue must be measurable. -The Task Force recommendations should support and enhance ongoing activities within the town, such as the work of the energy committee and the planning board and others. • l -The Task Force should address the needs for education and knowledge in the community around greenhouse gas reductions, and make sure that any recommended actions include an educational component. Volunteers: Finally, a number of people who attended one or more of the scoping committee meetings have volunteered to participate on the Task Force. These names will be forwarded to the 2020 committee as they are confirmed.