Link back to Harbor Development Committee page
Attendees:
Pam Harty
John Tzimorangas
Jeff Bourne
Otto Harling
Brian Phillips
Mark & Jane Hirsh (Public)
Kevin Bulman (Light Board)
7:04 PM: Meeting Opens
Proposed Agenda
Table approval of November 3, 2008, meeting minutes
Discuss and determine greenhouse gas reduction targets for municipal departments
Review liaison assignments for various municipal departments
Address/discuss next steps
Select next meeting date
Public Discussion
Mark & Jane Hirsh would like to install a wind turbine at the Hingham Harbor Marina with plans to feed the grid.
The Committee suggested starting with the Building Dept. to discuss height and zoning restrictions and to review the Dept of Energy bi-laws, which are currently being addressed in Hingham.
The remaining discussion focused on related issues and how to proceed with the project (i.e. interconnection with the grid, and the 50’ mixed use height policy).
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets
Pam proposed that the Committee set and assign reduction targets.
To help determine feasibility, targets in other cities and towns were discussed – this included the potential for a separate municipal and community target, and a normalization formula to account for population density. It was noted that towns are growing at an average annual rate of 1%.
It was suggested that we reach a target reduction by first determining what can be done and analyzing the impact, but this “soft plan” may not achieve the desired results.
Otto suggested focusing our time on large % reduction items.
Jeff initiated a discussion around a method to quantify traffic flow through Hingham that is beyond our control, which consists mostly of commuter traffic on Routes 3 & 3A. We should consult ICLEI for direction on how to proceed – perhaps a statistical method would work. Also, Jeff suggested we consider the Federal regulations for mph reduction and apply accordingly to our reduction calculations.
The group also discussed working with the Town to determine the average municipal mpg and set a goal to increase.
Based on the ICLEI report, electricity is 25% of total emissions for the residential & commercial sectors – how do we reduce that number when, per John’s experience, residential customers have historically expressed minimal interest in home audits. There are about 9,000 homes in Hingham. In addition, the there is minimal interest at the government level as evident by the school auditing process.
The State denied HMLP’s participation in the rebate fund. HMPL presented a rebate plan to the Light Board in November. The result may be a plan that mimics the public utility programs. It was noted that HMLP cannot subsidize educational programs.
Pam suggested that the Committee cannot be experts in all Town business areas and therefore should impose a reduction goal and rely on the areas to meet the said goal – we need to say “this is what you need to do”.
Liaison Assignments
It was discussed that the Committee liaisons should consider inviting an area representative to an Energy Committee meeting to share information, raise awareness, and solicit interest in carbon footprint reduction. The Planning Board was used as an example based on the premise that carbon footprint reduction is most cost effective during the design/construction phase of a project.
Next Steps
Jeff started a discussion regarding the next Town Meeting and suggested we present a menu of items that can (or should) be done. Note that we expect some items to require Board and/or public approval. The Committee will discuss this item further and determine (among other things) how to present our work.
The Committee agreed to bring in ICLEI to present the final report. The Committee will then prepare a summary and present the findings to the Board. The Committee will prepare questions prior to the ICLEI meeting.
Next Meeting
The next Meeting will be held on January 12, 2009, at 7:00 PM at the Town Hall.
9:30 PM: Meeting Adjourns