Green initiatives up for vote at Pelham special TM
Published: 10-10-2024 2:20 PM |
PELHAM — Several initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the town’s sustainability are among 10 articles to be taken up by voters at a special Town Meeting Tuesday.
The fall session will be called to order at 7 p.m. at the Pelham Historic Old Town Hall as a way for the town to continue its distinction of having that building, which opened in 1743, remain the longest continuously used meetinghouse in the United States. Action on the warrant articles will then be completed at Pelham Elementary School, about four miles to the west of the historic site.
One of the articles seeks to amend the town’s bylaws to have a chapter titled “Specialized Energy Code,” that would go into effect Sept. 1, 2025 and apply to design and construction of new buildings. The amended bylaw will meet the latest Code of Massachusetts Regulations, as well as future additions, amendments and modifications to the state code.
Another sustainability measure is to adopt a “Zero-Emission First Vehicle” policy, requiring town officials when buying new vehicles to get ones that serve to transition the fleet to all-electric or other environmentally advantageous vehicles. This policy also aims to promote the installation of electric charging infrastructure across municipal facilities.
The third green measure would require the town to construct a decarbonization roadmap that meets all state Department of Energy Resources Climate Leaders program requirements. This roadmap will be developed by people designated by the Select Board and with input from town committees and departments. The roadmap would be submitted to the Select Board for review and approval no later than Dec. 2, and then submitted to the state agency by Dec. 30.
Finally, a resolution would commit the town to municipal decarbonization, defined as the elimination of all on-site burning of fossil fuels in municipal buildings and vehicles by 2050, thus meeting the state’s climate goals. That resolution states, “we call on town government and staff to commit to a climate mobilization effort, with appropriate support from the state and federal governments to follow through on this commitment.”
Much of the rest of the warrant is focused on spending, with two articles drawing from the Community Preservation Act account.
The larger of the two is to use $99,000 from various CPA accounts to meet the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District’s application for funding for the renovation and construction of a track and field to be built at the high school.
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Another $9,500 in CPA funds would be used to meet the Pelham Elementary School Playground Committee’s application to pay The Berkshire Design Group for work related to accessibility upgrades to the school playground.
Other articles include amending the fiscal year 2025 annual budget, approved at annual Town Meeting, to $4.46 million; adding $13,000 to the full-time police officer salary line, for increasing costs related to hiring new officers; using $435,000 from the Capital Equipment Stabilization Fund to buy and equip a new or used tanker for the Fire Department; and accepting a state law to allow the town treasurer to manage trust funds in accordance with the Massachusetts Prudent Investor Rule.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.