Environmental committee gets to work

LENOX – The next step in the town’s goal of minimizing its impact on the environment began this week as the environmental committee met for the first time.

While the board decided to wait before handling some of the logistical issues of a new committee, like naming a chair, the board wasted no time getting up to speed on several town projects.

One project the board discussed at the longest length was the ongoing project of getting solar panels installed on town land.

The project, approved at the 2012 Town Meeting, has been held up by bureaucracy and delays from the power company.

“The problem has been that the power company has been really dragging their feet,” said Selectman Channing Gibson.

The committee decided to work to craft a letter to the governor asking for his support in getting the project moved along.

The board also discussed forming plans to promote less energy usage by both the town and its residents.

Town Manager Gregory T. Federspiel informed the committee there is some funding left in the green community grant to pay for training employees to use the HVAC systems more efficiently.

“We need to help prioritize these projects to make sure ideas like this come to fruition,” said Committee Member Suky Werman.

Another project the board will pursue will be educating the town about the benefits of having an energy audit done. That goal will include lobbying the town to do new audits on town owned buildings.

Solarize round two

The committee also discussed the possibility of bringing back the Solarize program in the town.

When the program first began in 2012, it was run with the state. The committee will look into the possibility of running a similar program through the town in the future.

The first program will be completed in April and will include 30 new installations in town.

“I think some open houses to show off the installations [may] possibly generate even more interest for a program in the future,” said Committee Member Susan May.

The committee also discussed water conservation, past projects like the Lenox idle free program, a plastic bag ban and the possibility of programs to promote bicycling in town.

Committee now full

The last open seat on the committee was filled by Lee Scott Laugenour after he was recommended by the committee and approved by the selectman.

Posted by Kameron Z. Spaulding on February 6, 2013. Filed under Community News,Featured,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry