HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-07-24-SLC-min Town of Lexington
Sustainable Lexington Committee
Minutes of Meeting of July 24, 2018
A meeting of the Sustainable Lexington Committee (SLC) was held at Cary Hall. A
quorum of five was present.
Members Present: Mark Sandeen, Marcia Gens, Todd Rhodes, Dan Voss
Members Absent: Rick Reibstein
Other Attendees:
• Celis Brisban, Resident
• Nick Afshartous, Noise Committee
• Jamie Banks, Quiet Communities
• David Pinsonneault, DPW
• Kate Colburn, School Committee
• Deepika Sawhney, School Committee
• Charlie Wyman, Resident
• Joe Pato, Board of Selectmen
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm.
1. Quiet Communities Discussion:
1.1. J. Banks provided an overview of the program being established with the DPW.
1.2. D. Pinsonneault identified that the DPW is in the process of testing out electric
equipment as part of a pilot program:
1.2.1. The DPW has updated their inventory of sites that the town maintains.
1.2.2. The DPW is preparing an inventory of equipment and needs of the sites.
1.2.3. DPW has purchased 9 pieces of equipment already (some blowers,
trimmers, push mowers).
1.2.4. DPW has set up a contract with Quiet Communities to plan out the
adoption process and the budgets for purchasing equipment and battery
packs.
1.2.5. The objective is to reduce emissions and noise—it benefits workers and
residents in the area.
1.2.6. They will be working the next 6 to 8 months to establish the program.
1.2.7. They purchased batteries that last 6-8 hours and they are working on
establishing an area for charging.
1.2.8. Workers are finding benefits with regard to lighter weight/vibration, less
noise, and emissions.
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1.2.9. Evaluation will be based on whether the equipment provides comparable
performance and then the benefits (noise, emissions) are additional.
Time is a key factor(i.e., the ability to get the same amount of work
done over time—there are a lot of sites to be maintained).
1.3. The DPW will check in with us again in September/October to provide an update
on the program.
2. DPW has also established a Smart Irrigation system. It monitors needs based on
rainfall.
3. Building Policy
3.1. Mark provided a summary of the history of the effort to develop a Sustainable
Building Policy.
3.1.1. Addressed the ideas promoted for Hastings:
• All electric
• Air filtration
• CO2 <600ppm
• Resilience in case of power outage
3.1.2. Joe identified that the PBC version of the policy includes a high-level
policy and then a lower level document with specifications.
3.2. Deepika asked about the Diamond and Clarke projects:
3.2.1. She asked how the goals were achieved.
3.2.2. SLC clarified that the design goals were met but we don't have a process
ensuring that the building, as-built, meets the original objectives.
3.3. Kate and Deepika said that they don't see a big difference between the new
version of the policy and last year's version.
3.3.1. T. Rhodes suggested that the biggest difference is that the previous
version set aggressive goals and required the team to provide a reason it
they cannot meet them. The current version starts at meeting code and the
team is asked to look for potential opportunities to improve from code.
3.4. MSBA process identifies "model schools" to guide the process. Mark identified
that they only approve certain architects. They do limit the cost—you have to pay
for things outside of the allowed funding. Mark doesn't see them as a problem.
Deadlines can be problematic re: timing.
3.5. Discussed the challenges of implementing sustainable goals for buildings (risk
aversion).
3.6. Marcia recommended that we need a Sustainability Director to help guide the
process and ensure it is followed.
3.7. Joe recommended that the PBC bylaws be amended to include a representative
with sustainability credentials.
3.8. Discussed the option of establishing a separate policy for schools.
3.8.1. Joe identified that schools are the responsibility of School Committee, so
a separate policy could be established.
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