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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-11-25-SLC-min.pdfSustainable Lexington Committee Minutes of Meeting of November 25, 2025 A meeting of the Sustainable Lexington Committee (SLC) was held by Zoom conference. A quorum of six was present throughout. Members Present: Cindy Arens (chair), Celis Brisbin, Lin Jensen, Todd Rhodes (vice-chair), Kavitha Venkatesan, Dan Voss Members Absent: Andy Joynt, Kavita Ravi, Rick Reibstein Staff Present: Maggie Peard Other Attendees: Alan Levine, Paul Chernick, Ricki Pappo, Joe Pato (SB Liaison), Rachel Summers, Mark Sandeen ————————————— SUMMARY OF VOTES: 1. IN FAVOR: Sign-on to a letter to the Governor opposing efforts to promote sustainable aviation fuels. ————————————— Cindy called the meeting to order at 6:04 pm. Approval of past meeting minutes. The draft minutes of October 28 and November 3, were unanimously approved as written. Comments from residents; emails to committee mailbox; new business ● Rick Pappo: o On 12/13 Sustainable Middlesex is meeting at Follen Church. Mike Barrett will be speaking. o Boston won an award for their building performance standards. Lexington should consider doing the same. o NY and VT have passed “make polluters pay” legislation and LexCAN is considering a Citizen’s Article on the same topic. Brookline passed a similar bylaw in April. Sustainability & Resilience Officer discussion and updates. Maggie reported on the following: ● Sustainable Capital Fund o Have used the fund for EV Chargers in the past. o This year Maggie is asking for two Level-2 and two Level-3 chargers for the Police Station at a cost of $400K+ (includes transformer and panel upgrade). Sustainable Lexington Committee Minutes of November 25, 2025 o In Maggie’s review of capital plans, two projects were identified for consideration of solar canopies: Harrington Fields and the Hartwell shooting range. Both projects are being evaluated and can be discussed at a future meeting. ● Waste Reduction Task Force o No changes to the plan for DPW to bring a bylaw change to Town Meeting in the spring. o Still working to get Black Earth pilot started at Hartwell. DOER Time-of-Use (TOU) Rates: ● DOER is proposing new TOU rates that would eliminate the recently approved heat pump rates. ● This is problematic because heat pumps are most efficient when run at a constant temperature, and TOU rates would incentivize turning them off during peak hours, increasing costs and reducing efficiency. ● Action: The committee will submit public comments by Dec 19, advocating for heat pump rates to be preserved alongside TOU. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Letter ● Cindy walked the committee through a letter to the Governor opposing efforts to promote sustainable aviation fuels. ● Cindy made a motion for SLC to sign on to the letter. The committee voted to sign on to the letter with five in favor and one abstention. Review of H.4744 vs. H.4144 ● The Governor ’s bill H.4144 with some positive aspects, it would have a negative impact on solar installations and would also cut funding for Mass Save. ● Cusack’s bill H.4744 would cut funding for Mass Save (more than H.4144), remove targets for emissions reductions, and prevent projects in Lexington and other fossil fuel free communities from participating in Mass Save. Building Projects ● Police Station Solar Canopy and Electric Infrastructure o There is a capital request for about $400k+ for two Level 2 and two 3 chargers and associated transformers (and panel upgrade) in the police station garage. o Celis asked about the need for transformers and why that wasn’t integrated into the original design and whether there are implications for the future needs at LHS. 2. Sustainable Lexington Committee Minutes of November 25, 2025 o Dan identified that, from a design standpoint, the utility looks at the scenario where the solar and batteries are down in order to size the electrical infrastructure to accommodate supplying the system from the grid. ● Lexington High School o The high school is designed with infrastructure for 20 Level 2 chargers and future expansion capacity for an additional 800 kW. Discussion of Potential Initiatives ● Cindy introduced the topic of considering initiatives for the committee to pursue. ● In an earlier note to the committee: Kavita suggested that the committee consider: o EV School Buses o Supporting DOER model bylaws for solar and batteries ● Cindy suggested: o Removing barriers to installing solar on disturbed land. ● Kavitha asked about how the tasks in the Resilient Lexington plan are being managed. o Maggie identified that tracking progress is part of her role and suggested that annual updates might be a good idea. o Rachel Summers commented that some of the goals in the Resilient Lexington plan are vague. ● Lin commented that the committee plays a role in connecting groups in town about different issues. She agrees that some goals in the Resilient Lexington Plan are vague. ● Lin suggested that we consider a bylaw to require solar on large buildings. o Dan commented that members of the Planning Board have said years ago that the requirement could be in a legal gray area, but it has been effective in Watertown. ● Kavitha recommended promoting Community Solar programs. ● Kavitha asked about programs to promote rainwater collection and use. o Rachel Summers commented that she has a cistern system for landscaping water. She also recommended that rainwater collection be integrated into new construction. ● Kavitha recommended a BEU-D like program that addresses food waste. o Maggie is working with local businesses to potentially save costs on commercial dumpsters by increasing recycling and composting activities. ● Cindy raised Ricki’s earlier comment about possibly requiring building performance standards. o Maggie commented that such a program would require a staff member to support. 3. Sustainable Lexington Committee Minutes of November 25, 2025 Next Meeting: The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Sustainable Lexington Committee is planned for 6 pm on December 16, 2025. The committee voted to adjourn at 8:45 pm. Respectfully submitted, Todd Rhodes 4.