Category Archives: Energy Committee

Lee Alinsky new Chair of MEC

Posted on July 14, 2017 | Comments Off on Lee Alinsky new Chair of MEC

This emailed memo came today from the now former chair of the Medfield Energy Committee, Fred Bunger, who is moving to Wellesley to be nearer to family.  Medfield benefited hugely from Fred’s excellent, thoughtful, and persistent stewardship of the MEC.  Fred engineered the town becoming a Green Community last year, with all that entails, including the receipt of a $148,000 DOER grant and the development of a plan to reduce the town’s future energy consumption by 20% – a reduction which is over an above the 30% reduction that the MEC had already helped the town achieve under the original MEC Chair, Marie Zack Nolan.  That grant money is now being used to undertake a recommissioning of the HVAC controls at the Medfield High School and the Blake Middle School, the town’s two biggest energy users, so as to make both operate more efficiently.

town seal

TOWN OF MEDFIELD

Energy Committee

TOWN HOUSE, 459 MAIN STREET MEDFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS 02052-2009

TO:  Select Board, Town Administrator and Facilities Director

DATE: July 12, 2017

SUBJECT:  New Energy Committee Chair

Dear Sirs,

This letter is to confirm that the Medfield Energy Committee has chosen Lee Alinsky as Chairman, by vote of the members in attendance at the June 8, 2017 Energy Committee meeting.

 

I will be moving from Medfield in September 2017, so can no longer serve on the Energy Committee.

 

Please make Lee welcome and give him the excellent support you have given me for the past two years.  Your ongoing support of the Energy Committee will continue to help the Town achieve its efficiency goals.

 

Thank you for the honor of serving you.

 

Sincerely,

Fred Bunger

 

cc.: Medfield Energy Committee members

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Posted in Energy Committee

LED’s at ATM

Posted on April 18, 2017 | Comments Off on LED’s at ATM

This from the Medfield Energy Committee chair, Fred Bunger –

LED streetlight

Letter to Editor

 

I am writing in support of Article #25 on the Town Meeting warrant.  Article #25 proposes that the Town save $31,870/yr. on lighting cost by converting 347 streetlights in Medfield to LED.   Medfield would join over 50 other Massachusetts towns that have made the conversion to LED.

 

The net cost of the project is $67,600 after State grants and utility incentives.  This gives a simple payback of 2.1 years or 47% return on investment. With conservative allocation for future replacement and doubled maintenance costs, the payback is still an excellent 3.1 years.

 

The LED lights will provide a more natural light than the HID lights currently used.  LED lighting improvements in the last few years have permitted adjustments to the light color to avoid the harsh blue light seen in earlier LED installations.  To see what the Medfield lights might look like, take a drive on Route 109 into Westwood, which converted to LED recently.

 

The Medfield Energy Committee has been considering LED street lighting for several years.  The recent availability of State grants makes this an excellent time to implement the project.  We urge your support.

 

Sincerely,

Fred Bunger, Chairman Medfield Energy Committee

 

 

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Posted in Energy Committee, Town Meeting

Green Community recognition 4/12

Posted on April 3, 2017 | Comments Off on Green Community recognition 4/12

The Medfield Energy Committee was tenacious, working hard over many years to position Medfield to become a Green Community, by satisfying the five required criteria, most recently by crafting a five year plan for a further 20% reduction by the town government’s energy use – that was filed and accepted by DOER over the winter.  The DOER invitation to the Green Community designation event appears below.  The five year plan was a “further” reduction, because the Medfield Energy Committee already had affected over a 30% energy use reduction since MEC first started its work.

It turns out that saving the planet also helps to save the town money.

And, don’t forget that qualifying as a Green Community also gets the town a $148,000 DOER grant, as well as access to future ongoing competitive DOER grants. So doing the right thing also earns the town money.

Westwood used one of the DOER competitive grants ($250,000) to buy and convert all its streetlights to LED fixtures.

Our own streetlight purchase ($1) and LED conversion (in round numbers, about $100,000) is a warrant article at our upcoming town meeting.  In general terms the town would spend about $100,000 to buy and convert to LED’s, get a now available, time limited $30,000 DOER grant to do so, and save about $30,000/year in future reduced electricity charges, for a pay back of the cost to convert in less than three years.

20170412-DOER-GC Event Invitation Medfield

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Posted in Energy Committee, Environmental, Green, Town Services

MEC on 1/12

Posted on February 9, 2017 | Comments Off on MEC on 1/12

MEC

Draft minutes

Medfield Energy Committee

Jan 12, 2017

 

Fred Bunger presiding, Jerry McCarty, Cynthia Greene, Lee Alinsky, Fred Davis, Paul Fechtelklotter (taking minutes)

 

  1. December 8 meeting minutes accepted. Fred B. will make effort to put all 2016 meeting minutes in a single location for easier access.

 

  1. Annual report – FB.

Made minor updates to the draft report. Still awaiting updates for the solar projects – Fred B will submit revised report once he receives them.

 

  • Green Communities –FB:

 

Fred B spoke with Kelly on Medfield’s application status. He received very positive feedback but no official response.

Axxum confirmed that there is money available for her to assist with our application for initial grants after Medfield receives confirmation of achieving Green Community status.

The expected deadline for submitting the grant application is 3 March. Jerry will be “on point” for the grant submittal with MEC support.

The MEC will have to identify priorities for spending the ~$148K in grant money, using Table 2 of the Energy Reduction plan as the starting point. Retro-commissioning of the High School and Blake are likely to be high on the prioritized list of projects since it will likely be difficult to secure funding for those projects in a competitive grant scenario.

Jerry has received preliminary pricing for retro-commissioning and EMS software upgrades from vendors and should have more data points by our February meeting.  The costs were highlighted at the December MEC meeting and total ~$80K. He is also just starting to develop a list of items to include in his capital submission to the town.

Jerry is getting bids for replacing halogen lights at the library, weatherizing windows at the library, and replacing an exterior door at the library. Fred D. volunteered to assist with the library lighting effort.

Fred B. will make sure that committee members have the final version of Table 4 that was included in our Green Communities application package.

 

  1. LED streetlights – FD:

Fred D. walked through his analysis of typical maintenance/support contract terms that Medfield should put in place if the town owned the lights.

New funding sources and grants have recently become available that will reduce the net cost of the replacement effort from ~$89K to ~$67K

There are limited funds available so it is important to move forward quickly.

Fred B. will send Fred D’s package and data to Jerry and Mike Sullivan. He will also write a letter to the Board of Selectman on behalf of the MEC to start the process.

Should the project go forward, Medfield will still have to choose an LED technology. We can either leverage MAPC to make a recommendation or do it ourselves.  A suggestion was made to engage Westwood for advice since they recently went through a similar effort.

 

  • Town Solar – JM:

 

DPW Solar: No change in status since the last MEC meeting. Still engaged with Solect (who is the SRECs aggregator, solar maintenance, and reporting), who advised town to wait until next round of solar programs.

 

Public Safety Solar: everything is set but still waiting for ACA approval, which should come before 19 January.

 

  1. Solarize Medfield Status:

Tabled until February meeting.

 

  1. Other business.

Tabled discussion on best way to archive committee materials until February meeting.

 

Meeting adjourned around 9:15.

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Posted in Energy Committee, Uncategorized

BoS 2/7

Posted on February 3, 2017 | Comments Off on BoS 2/7

TOWN OF MEDFIELD POSTED: MEETING TOWN CLERK NOTICE fO"frl otttf.nf.£[o.MAS~ . f£6 -3 p 2: 0 2 POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF M.G.~~8iillTER 39 ~ECTION 23A AS AMENDED. OffGE OF fHt Board of Selectmen iG!J~! CLERf< Board or Committee PLACE OF MEETING DAY, DATE, AND TIME Town Hall, Chenery Meeting Room 2nd floor Tuesday February 7, 2017@ 7:00 PM AGENDA (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) 7:00 PM 495 Partnership Discuss rail line; general partnership update 7:30 PM Medfield Housing Authority, Candace Loewen, Director Update on Tilden Village expansion PENDING Town Administrator evaluation Discuss warrant articles Discussion pertaining to a Medfield Appreciation Day at the flying field located at the hospital site NEW BUSINESS Department of Energy Resources designates Medfield as a Green Community Vote to sign Engagement letter with town auditors Powers & Sullivan LLC INFORMATIONAL Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, William O'Donnell, Register will hold office hours on Thursday February 9, 2017 10 AM to Noon, Town Hall 2nd floor Other business that may come before the Board of Selectmen Signatured _ 3 __ (? Date COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESOURCES Charles D. Baker Governor Karyn E. Polito Lt. Governor 100 CAMBRIDGE ST., SUITE 1020 BOSTON, MA 02114 Telephone: 617-626-7300 Facsimile: 617-727-0030 Mark Fisher, Chair, Board of Selectmen 459 Main Street Medfield, MA, 02052 Dear Chairman Fisher: Matthew A. Beaton Secretary Judith F. Judson Commissioner February 1, 2017 Congratulations on the Town of Medfield's designation as a Green Community! This designation is quite an achievement and reflects the hard work and tireless efforts your community has exhibited in meeting the Green Communities Designation and Grant Program's five criteria. Meeting these criteria is proof of Medfield's position as an energy leader in Massachusetts, poised to reduce its energy costs, improve the local environment and implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with funding through the Green Communities Designation and Grant Program. The purpose of this letter is to confirm your Green Community designation in writing and provide you with program information and activities relevant to you as a newly-designated Green Community. Along with this designation, the Town of Medfield has been awarded a grant of $146,815. A formulaic allocation has been established that consists of a base grant per community of $125,000, plus an amount adjusted for population and income, with an additional $10,000 for designated communities that met Criterion 1 through adoption of as-of-right siting for renewable energy generation. To receive this grant award, the Town of Medfield will be required to submit a project application proposing how these funds will be spent. The Green Communities Division ("Division") will begin accepting grant applications immediately on 9 am, February 13, 2017. The Green Communities grant application guidance with submission instructions is provided as a separate attached document. Please be sure to work with your Regional Coordinator, Kelly Brown at 508-767-2703, to identify potential energy projects and coordinate with vendors and utility companies. SIGNS Each designated Green Community receives four ( 4) 12" x 18" aluminum signs to be displayed in your community. While you are free to place these signs wherever you choose within your community, the Division recommends installing them in highly-visible, high pedestrian traffic areas (such as near municipal offices, schools, and downtown business districts, and/or within parks and along walking paths). If installed on roadways, the Division recommends hanging them at approximately eye-level for motorists, to maximize readability. DESIGNATED 20UI CERTIFICATES Each Green Community will receives an official certificate for display pronouncing the municipality's designation as a Green Community and including the designation date and signatures of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and Commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources. FACES OF GREEN COMMUNITIES WEB PAGE Finally, the Commonwealth is extremely proud of and inspired by the efforts of the 185 Green Communities. From the tip of Cape Cod to the Berkshires, Green Communities such as yours are pursuing their own unique pathways to a clean, sustainable, and more economical energy future. To showcase the diversity of the Green Communities and their individual efforts and results, we have created a Faces of Green Communities web page. Within three months of your designation as a Green Community, we ask that you complete the attached questionnaire and return it to us, along with a photo of your local energy team posing with one of your mounted Green Community signs. Please send your materials to Jane Pfister at jane.pfister@state.ma.us. Once we receive your information and photo, we will quickly add your story to the web site. Again, congratulations on becoming a Green Community. The Division looks forward to working with the Town of Medfield to meet the objectives of the Green Communities Designation and Grant Program and to support you in meeting your local energy goals. Thank you for your commitment to a cleaner energy future for Massachusetts. Sincerely, Joanne Bissetta Deputy Director, Green Communities Division Cc: Michael Sullivan, Town Administrator Axum Teferra, MAPC Kelly Brown, Green Communities Regional Coordinator20170207-agenda-short_page_220170207-agenda-short_page_320170207-agenda-short_page_4

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Posted in Energy Committee, Green, Select Board matters

Image

Solarize Medfield

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Statement from the Solarize Medfield Solar Coach Medfield, Mass., Jan. 24, 2017 – Solar Coach Marie Zack Nolan provided the following statement about the Solarize Medfield program, which ended December 21, 2016: “I am thrilled to report that the Solarize Medfield community initiative reached Tier 5, our highest level possible, providing the maximum discount to all our participants regardless of when they signed up. Tier 5 saved people an additional $0.20-per-watt over the already low starting price of the program. Over the six-month program, we had 29 contracts signed, which represents 259.135 kilowatts worth of capacity! This is an increase in capacity by 82% compared to Medfield’s baseline before the program started. “Of the 211 people who expressed interest in the program, 165 requested an initial desk analysis and aerial screening to learn whether their homes or properties were good candidates for solar. Most of the residents who contacted New England Clean Energy had feasible sites and received onsite assessments and proposals. “With 94 onsite solar assessments done and 92 proposals sent to feasible homes, and 29 systems moving forward, we had a 30% success rate during our program. “We are declaring Solarize Medfield a huge success, as many more people in Medfield now understand the benefits of solar and just how amazing a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can work on their roof and within their budget given all the solar incentives available and the state of PV technology now. “The Solarize Medfield team of town volunteers and professional staff from our preferred vendor, New England Clean Energy, worked very hard from July to December. They worked to identify and follow up on leads, and to educate residents on the benefits of solar technology through public meetings at venues including Town Hall, the library and the high school auditorium, and at meetings of MEMO and the Lions Club. The Solarize team held several Solar Open Houses around town, appeared on Medfield Cable TV, and had a booth at Medfield Day. Having the town support us by allowing inserts in the water and sewer bills was critical in being able to reach everyone in town. “I would like to acknowledge volunteer Andrew Curran for his many hours advertising and marketing the program through frequent newsletters, a Facebook page and at events. Andrew grew up in Medfield and is committed to helping the planet through sustainable and environmental advocacy. I also want to recognize Maciej Konieczny, my co-solar coach, who provided technical assistance. And I want to thank everyone at New England Clean Energy of Hudson. The company’s capable and knowledgeable staff was great to work with – helping to communicate our message, educating residents, doing countless site visits and holding frequent library hours to discuss questions and proposals with residents.” (Note: As background, Solarize Medfield is a part of Solarize Mass, a joint initiative of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and the Green Communities Division of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER). The program is designed to promote the widespread adoption of small-scale solar electricity within a community. Last March, MassCEC announced that Medfield had been selected to participate in the 2016 program. Solarize Medfield used community outreach and group purchasing to reduce the installation costs of solar electricity.) ### CONTACTS: Marie Nolan Medfield Solar Coach (508) 361-8786 mznolan@comcast.net Susan Boucher New England Clean Energy (978) 567-6527 susan@newenglandcleanenergy.com

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Posted on January 24, 2017 in Energy Committee, Green, Uncategorized

MEC recommends buying streetlights & installing LED’s

Posted on January 15, 2017 | 2 comments

MEC

Select Board & Town Administrator,

 

The Medfield Energy Committee has been investigating the benefits of converting the Town’s 347 streetlights to LED technology for the past few years.

 

The economics are compelling.  Currently, the Town pays Eversource $41,000/year for the operation and maintenance of the lights.  A conversion to LED would reduce the cost of operation and maintenance to $8,300/year.

 

A newly announced program from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) would provides a  grant to take 30% off installation costs.  The $105,000 total cost of installation would fall to $68,000 after factoring in  utility incentives and the 30% DOER grant.  The return on the investment would be 48%, a 2.1 year simple payback.

 

The Medfield Energy Committee supports the conversion and urges the Select Board and Town Administrator to take the steps necessary to allocate the funds to accomplish the project as soon as possible.  Jerry McCarty, Director of Facilities and Maurice Goulet Director of the Department of Public Works are both in support of the project.

 

We recognize there is a concern about maintenance.  Contacts with suppliers and municipalities are in progress to address these concerns.  Also the visual impact of the change to LED may be a concern.  The Town of Westwood has converted to LED so a drive east on Route 109 might answer questions about the visual impact.

 

There is urgency to this request as the DOER grant program was just announced and the funds may be limited.  There are many interested towns, so the Energy Committee would like to see Medfield apply as early as possible.

 

A financial analysis of the conversion is attached.

 

The Medfield Energy Committee is ready to meet with the Select Board at the earliest convenient time.

 

Respectfully,

Fred Bunger

Chairman Medfield Energy Committee

2 Comments

Posted in Energy Committee

MEC annual report

Posted on January 15, 2017 | Comments Off on MEC annual report

MEC

Medfield Energy Committee 2016 Annual Report

 

To the Honorable Selectmen and residents of Medfield

 

The Energy Committee was chartered by the Select Board in 2008 to help the Town reduce energy consumption and reduce operating costs.  We have been making steady progress on reducing energy use and supporting generation of renewable energy.

 

The Town of Medfield used 48,966 MM BTU of energy costing $762,000 in calendar year 2016.  Partially due to a milder winter, energy usage was 24% lower and costs were 23% below 2015.

 

In April 2016, the Solar Array at the Medfield Waste Water Treatment Plant was completed and put on-line.  Since June, the panels have generated 181,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, saving the Town $19,000.  The panels have provided about 58% of the WWTP electricity.  The Solar project, approved at 2015 Town Meeting, was budgeted at $700,000, but with the continuing fall in the price of solar panels, was completed $240,000 under budget.  The surplus was set aside and included in funding of $390,000 for a 155 KW solar panel installation on the Town Garage.  The project, planned for 2017, was approved at the 2016 Town Meeting.

 

 

A 60KW solar panel installation on the new Public Safety Building was completed in December as a change order on the project, which is under budget.  These panels are expected to generate 20% of the building electricity.

 

The Energy Committee has been working to qualify Medfield as a Green Community since 2011.  In 2014 the adoption of the Solar By-Law accomplished the first two of the 5 elements necessary to qualify as a Green Community.  In 2015, the Energy Efficient Vehicle policy was adopted.  The final two elements were achieved in 2016:

  • The Stretch Energy Code was adopted at the April 25, 2016 Town Meeting
  • A plan for 20% reduction in Town energy use from a 2015 baseline was developed by the Energy Manager and the Energy Committee and was adopted by both the School Committee and the Select Board in November.

 

 

The Energy Committee completed the Green Communities application and submitted it to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources November 21st.  The review of the application went well, and the Town is expecting to be notified of acceptance in January.  At that time, the Town will receive a grant of $148,000 for energy improvement projects.

 

The Energy Committee said goodbye to Andrew Seaman who served as Energy Manager since 2014.  Andrew saved the Town many thousands of dollars by renegotiating power contracts, completing energy improvement projects and pushing through the installation of solar panels.   Jerry McCarty, the Town Facilities Director has taken on the role of Energy Manager in addition to his other duties.

 

Medfield was accepted into the Solarize Massachusetts Solar Challenge program in May.  Solarize Medfield encouraged homeowners to install solar panels by offering lower installation costs as more installations were signed-up.  New England Clean Energy was the selected vendor.  At the completion of the program at the end of November, 91 homes were assessed for solar panels and 89 were considered feasible.   16 homes totaling 155.86 KW of generating capacity signed contracts for installation of solar panels.   The program achieved tier 4 of 5, which provided an estimated savings of $900 per installation.  The Energy Committee continues to encourage homeowners and businesses to consider installing solar panels.  Return on investment for home solar generation exceeds 10%.

 

In 2017, the Energy Committee will be working on energy improvement projects as outlined in the Green Communities 5 year plan.   Projects for 2017 will be identified to that make the most effective use of the $148,000 initial grant.

 

Conversion of the 347 streetlights in the Town to LEDs is under consideration.  The lights are currently owned by Eversource, but they have agreed to transfer the lights to the Town for $1.   With a potential DOER grant & Eversource incentives, the net installation cost of $68,000 would be paid off in 2.1 years by the $32,600 annual energy savings.  A  maintenance contract acceptable to the Town is currently being sought.

 

The Medfield Energy Committee usually meets on the second Thursday evening of the month in the Town Garage.  The public is invited to attend the meetings, participate in the discussion and offer help in reducing energy consumption in the Town.  Residents interested in becoming a member of the Energy Committee are encouraged to contact the Town Administrator for consideration.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Fred Bunger, Chair

Lee Alinsky

Penni Conner

Fred Davis

Paul Fechtelkotter

Cynthia Greene

Maciej Konieczny

Marie Nolan

Jerry McCarty, Facilities Director, Ex-Officio

Osler Peterson, Selectman, Ex-Officio

Michael Sullivan, Town Administrator, Ex-Officio

 

 

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Posted in Energy Committee

Selectmen 11/15/16

Posted on December 16, 2016 | Comments Off on Selectmen 11/15/16

Meeting Minutes November 15, 2016 Chenery Meeting Room draft PRESENT: Selectmen Fisher, Peterson, Marcucci; Town Administrator Sullivan; Assistant; Town Counsel Cerel; Administrative Assistant Clarke Chairman Fisher called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. He announced this meeting is being recorded and we want to take a moment of appreciation for our Troops serving in the Middle East and around the world Executive Session at the close of meeting for the purpose of discussing pending litigation filed against Medfield Conservation Commission and to discuss potential land acquisition SPECIAL ELECTION MEDFIELD HOUSING AUTHORI1Y Members Lisa Donovan, Eldred Whyte, Robert Canavan and Brent Nelson are present this evening to vote jointly with the Selectmen a new member to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of member Neil Duross. The newly elected candidate will fill the vacancy until the Town Election in March. The only candidate is Eileen DeSorgher. According to General Laws Chapter 41, Section 11 election is by roll call vote. Selectman Peterson, Clerk of the Board asked for the roll call vote. The Board of Selectmen and the members of the Housing Authority voted unanimously to elect Eileen DeSorgher. The Selectmen offered congratulations to Ms. DeSorgher. POLICE DEPAITTMENT Chief Meaney explained that he is here this evening to request the Selectmen vote to appoint Kim Belskis as a Medfield Police Officer. She is a member of the Army National Guard and is a suicide and prevention officer. Ms. Belskis is an exceptional fit for the Town and will be a great asset to the department. She expects to enter the Academy in February. VOTED unanimously to appoint Kim Belskis as a Police Officer with the Medfield Police Department Chief Meaney continued saying that several weeks ago the Board voted Sergeant John Wilhelmi as Deputy Police Chief. Tonight I would like to present Deputy Chief Wilhelmi with his badge and he will have the honor of being pinned by his wife. The Selectmen extended congratulations to Deputy Chief Wilhelmi. MEDFIELD ENERGY COMMITIEE Fred Bunger, Committee Chair and Axum Teferra from the Metropolitan Area Planning Committee presented information about a five year plan that will reduce Medfield's energy consumption by 20% by the end of fiscal year 2020. Mr. Bunger explained that the Selectmen and Energy Committee have been working to qualify Medfield as a Green Community since November 15, 2016 Page two 2011. The Town has completed four of the criteria necessary for the designation leaving only one more, the energy reduction plan. The plan's goal will be to save us $250,000 per year. Proposed projects will focus on lighting replacement in town buildings, water usage and building insulation. Included in the school's plan to reduce energy is to teach students to turn off computers, electronics and lights when not in use. Any projects that may cost the town to institute may be done by applying for state grants. Mr. Bunger explained that Medfield's application must be sent to the Department of Energy by November 21. The Selectmen were impressed by the remarkable data presented as they know it was a lot of work. VOTED unanimously to adopt the Energy Reduction Plan as presented by the Medfield Energy Committee and further vote to authorize Town Administrator to sign letters that will be included in the package for the Department of Energy Resources Mfit?~~~&Rt'MFi~qW~'~z~;a~,tf~!lrg Toyii),,,qgyh~el,~~r~Lt~ro'.~t~~~i that the Town's draft letter was submitted to Jay Talerman for his review and comments. Selectman Marcucci advises that the letter should emphasize the developer's financial history at the beginning of the letter; the bullet points regarding the applicants names seem to be confusing. That should be made clearer. MASS Housing must be made aware of the applicants financial backgrounds; specifically request they conduct an investigation. Discussion ensued regarding plans to reach the goal of 21 units per year to keep the Town at safe harbor. Mr. Sullivan reported on discussions he has had with a few developers regarding housing plans. Resident Suzanne Siino was in the audience and a discussion took place regarding group homes as a way to add units to affordable housing; locations for them will be ongoing matter. The Board is requested to vote to submit a reserve fund transfer for $40,000 to hire a housing specialist to assist the Town with the various regulations of 40B and it was so voted. STATE HOSPITAL MASTER PLAN COMMITIEE Discussion ensued with Steve Nolan, Chairman regarding the committee's decision to end their contract with VHB Consulting. Another RFP has been published for consultants to assist the Town with the strategic reuse plan for the site. The Selectmen are requested to vote to approve a request for funds in the amount of $150,000 for this work and it was so voted. November 15, 2016 Page three ROAD SALT AGREEMENT At their previous meeting the Board was requested to award the road salt bid for the 2016- 2017 winter season to Eastern Minerals, Inc. DPW Director Maurice Goulet requests the Selectmen vote to sign the Agreement with Eastern Minerals and it was so voted. PHASE II DOWNTOWN PARKING VOTED unanimously to sign a grant application, amount up to $15,000 for Medfield Phase II Parking Study and as recommended by the Economic Development Committee CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER VOTED unanimously to authorize Chairman Fisher sign Inspector General Appointment Notice naming Kristine Trierweiler as Medfield's Chief Procurement Officer WATER TREATMENT PROJECT VOTED unanimously to award the contract to Environmental Partners Group, Quincy, MA for Consulting and Engineering Services pertaining to the study and design of magnesium and iron from Wells 3 and 4 and as recommended by the Board of Water and Sewerage LICENSES AND PERMITS VOTED unanimously to grant Council on Aging a one-day wine and malt beverage permit for two events; December 1, Challenge Paint Night and January 11, 2017 Supper Club VOTED unanimously to grant the Medfield Music Association permission to post signs promoting Spaghetti with Santa on December 7; Jazz Band Cuba fundraising event on February 3, 2017; Orchestra event with Berklee Strings Group on February 15 and Jazz Night to be held May 5, 2017 VOTED to grant Basil Restaurant a time extension on their liquor permit to 1:00 AM Wednesday November 23, Thanksgiving Eve VOTED unanimously to grant permission to hold the 2nd annual SK and 1 mile Fun Run to honor Hunter Williams an 8 year old double lung transplant VOTED unanimously to grant Medfield Junior Girl Scout Troop 88192 permission to hold a Pet Parade in May 2017 November 15, 2016 Page four SELECTMEN REPORT Mr. Peterson extended compliments to John Thompson for his recent tour at the state hospital site; great opening ceremony of the new Public Safety Building; great group of friends and neighbors planted over 1000 spring bulbs at Straw Hat Park; Richard DeSorgher presented a terrific program for the Historical Society's anniversary. He attended the Veterans' Day Breakfast at the CENTER and gave kudos to Veterans' Service Agent Ron Griffin who did a wonderful job with arrangements. Mr. Marcucci enjoyed the Veterans' Day evening event at Baxter Park and received good information at a meeting arranged by Michael Sullivan and Mark Cerel on Friday afternoon Discussing 40B. Mr. Fisher attended the Veterans' Day Breakfast enjoyed listening to singer Dan Clark. He is happy to report that Medfield High School graduate Matthew Aucoin is assisting with the high school music program. EXECUTIVE SESSION The Board of Selectmen will be going into executive session for the purpose for the purpose of discussing pending litigation filed against the Medfield Conservation Commission and to discuss potential land acquisition with the expressed intent not to reconvene in open session. By positive roll call vote the Selectmen went into Executive Session at 9:15 PM.20161115_page_220161115_page_320161115_page_4

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Posted in Affordable housing / 40B, Energy Committee, Green, Medfield State Hospital, Police Department, Select Board matters, Uncategorized

MEC minutes from

Posted on December 7, 2016 | Comments Off on MEC minutes from

MEC

DRAFT Minutes:  Medfield Energy Committee: November 10, 2016 at Town Hall

Attendees: Fred Bunger, Pete Peterson, Paul Fechtelkotter, Marie Nolan, Jerry  McCarty, Maciej Konieczny, Cynthia Greene and Axum Tefara by phone

  1. October 13 meeting minutes   The committee also met on October 27 to go over the Green Communities Table 4, but minutes were not recorded.
  2. Green Communities (GC). Mike Sullivan sent the GC package that included a letter of introduction, the plan, table 4 and a link to all of the audits to the Board of Selectman (BOS) and the School Committee (SC) on 11/7.  Fred made a change to Table 4 removing the $500K for the boiler and replacing it with a zero as the boiler installment has already been done.  This reduces the cost of the entire plan from $1.7 M to $1.2 M.  Fred’s letter with the package asked that both organizations contact him with any questions.  He has not had any inquiries yet.  At both meetings Fred will explain that the dates in Table 4 can be changed.

 

Axum has sent the draft energy package to Kelly Brown for her review, but she does not expect that Kelly will have comments before the BOS and SC meetings.  She does not expect substantive comments from Kelly.  Axum will need at least an hour to upload the remaining documents from Medfield so that she can complete the package by 5 pm on 11/21.

 

Axum can attend both the BOS and SC meetings.

 

Once the Green Communities package is accepted by DOER, the designation event will be held with Secretary Beaton in January.  He will hand out the big checks at that meeting.  Medfield will then determine which projects we want to fund with the $148K designation grant in the first year and submit that project list by February or March.   DOER will review and approve the projects and Medfield will receive the funds in March or April.  Medfield can apply for subsequent competitive grants of up to $250K each year after we submit an annual report and show how we have spent the previous year’s funds.

 

Next Steps:

  • 11/14 School Committee meeting. The meeting may be postponed to 11/21 as the notice for the meeting was not put out in time to meet open meeting law requirements.  This could be a problem as the package submittal is due by 5 pm on 11/21.

ACTIONS:

  • Fred Bunger has sent a note to Kelly Brown explaining the situation and asking if we can have an extension on the submittal time for the letter from the school committee.
  • Fred will also see if the School Committee is willing to have a special meeting to consider the GC package before the 11/21 meeting.
  • Fred will notify the MEC members if the meeting is on for 11/14 so that some can attend with him.
  • Fred will contact both the BOS and SC to see if they have any questions on the package.

 

  • 11/15 Board of Selectman meeting. Several members will attend with Fred.
  • Remaining items to be submitted:
  • Criteria 1 and 2 information – DONE – Sent in by Sarah Raposa
  • Letter from Mark Cerel saying that an expedited permit can be done within one year. This letter was drafted in 2014, but never finalized.  Marie supplied the draft letter.

ACTION: Fred will ask Mike Sullivan to get Mark’s signature on the letter so it can be submitted.

  • Criteria 4 on fuel efficient vehicles. We need to complete the inventory.  For the older vehicles, we can leave the mileage blank as it may be difficult to determine the miles per gallon for some of them and we can just list how the vehicle is used.

ACTION:  Maurice and Andrew are working on this.

 

We discussed Table 4 and the start dates for projects.  Jerry said that from his experience in Weston, we can change the dates in the Table when we send in the package for the $148K designation grant.    We may want to do the EMS retro-commissioning in 2017 as it has a longer payback.  Jerry explained that the biggest problem for Weston was the plug load in the schools as more and more electronics are being used.

 

The plan also contains long term goals that include maximizing energy efficiency in the town buildings, adopting a certifiable green building standard, a routine demand response program and purchasing fuel efficient vehicles.  The plan includes setting aside funds for a town energy manger.

 

  1. Solarize Medfield will end on November 30, 2017.  Marketing has included Medfield TV, dinner meetings with Memo and the Lions and handing out leaflets at Chowder fest.  New England Clean Energy has had 185 contacts, 133 desk analyses, 53 site assessments (only one was not feasible), and 52 homes received proposals.   Of those, 14 will not being going forward and 13 systems have signed up for a total of 124 kW totals.  The goal of the project was to double the number of homes with solar which would have been 30 additional properties.  Fred Bunger reported that he had an assessment and that it was professionally done, but that he will not be able to install as his condo association will not allow solar.

Maciej explained that the SREC program will be changing to a 15 year tariff system after 1/8/17.  Those systems that are installed before 1/8/16 will still receive the SREC 2 for 10 years.  Marie will contact MA CEC for more information on this change.

Several members have noticed that the Veterinarian’s office on Rte. 27 has removed their solar panels.   Marie will call to find out why as she said the owner was happy with the panels.

  1. Public Safety Building – The solar panels have been delivered and they should be installed next week.

 

  1. DPW Garage Solar – We will need to redo the economics for this project because of the change to a solar tariff system. We should look to put a bid out in January.
  2. Capitol review – Jerry is doing a capital review of the town’s buildings for the BOS and the SC to determine what projects should be put in the capital plan. He will coordinate with the Energy Committee.   He is interested in having all of the EMS report to a central location.

 

  1. MEI – After we get through the GC submittal, we will have a discussion of the MEI results for the town’s buildings.

 

  1. Next meeting December 14, 7:30 pm at the DPW garage.

Meeting adjourned at 9:20 pm

 

Respectfully submitted by Cynthia Greene

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