Plenty of Room for Improvement in Fulfilling Town Manager’s Climate Action Goals
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Source: Amherst Climate Justice Alliance
The Amherst Climate Justice Alliance (ACJA) issued a report on September 29, 2023, on their assessment of the Town Manager’s progress on addressing climate action goals in 2023. Their report was submitted to the Town Council to be considered as part of the council’s annual evaluation of the Town Manager.
The Town Managers climate actions goals for FY 20 and 21 and calendar years 2022 and 2023 can be viewed here. See also, 2023 Amherst, MA Town Manager Performance Goals, adopted Jan. 9, 2023)
The report gave the Town Manager strong marks for completing the town’s solar assessment, working toward the establishment of a solar bylaw, and completing an inventory of HVAC systems in municipal buildings, but found his efforts insufficient in several areas noted below. They noted in several instances that the town’s progress on climate goals was hindered by insufficient staffing at town hall. The report states, “Considering the urgency of the climate crisis, the Town Manager’s yearly climate action goals need to be implemented thoroughly and in a timely manner. This is necessary in order for the town to meet our bold climate action goals on time, including our first goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GhG) by 25% by 2025. Meeting our yearly goals requires that we put climate action on a faster track.”
2023 Town Manager Goals and ACJA Evaluation Regarding Each Goal
The AJCA evaluated the Town Manager’s progress on thirteen specific goals and used a number ranking based on the following evaluation criteria:
- Commendable
Completed fully and satisfactorily, or made significant progress in target year, transparent results, on schedule
2. Satisfactory
Some progress or potential for completion in target year, transparent results
3. Needs Improvement
Some progress but not sufficient for completion in target year or on schedule
4. Unsatisfactory
Very slow or no progress, not on schedule, not transparent
5. Unable to Judge
ACJA Evaluation Ratings and Rationales
1. Use a climate lens when making budgeting, construction, repair, hiring, and other decisions that involve energy.
ACJA evaluation on using a climate lens when reviewing Capital Purchasing – 2
ACJA evaluation on using a climate lens in other areas – 4
This item first appeared in Town Manager annual goals in FY 2020 (July, 2019).
ACJA is happy to hear that the town is using a ‘climate lens’ when they review all capital purchases. We would like to have an accounting of how the new process has affected purchasing. In some areas it did not appear that serious consideration was given to more climate friendly options.
In addition, the goal is larger than adopting a climate lens for purchasing. It also includes using a climate lens for construction, repair, and hiring. There is no indication of progress in those areas this year that we have seen. The town needs a transparent policy, uniformly implemented across departments, Boards and Committees – and data on how it has been implemented and how it has improved our sustainability.
2. Complete Joint Powers Entity formation, submit the Valley Green Energy – Community Choice Aggregation application to the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), and start implementation upon approval.
ACJA evaluation, CCA application submission – 2
ACJA evaluation, Joint Powers Entity formation – 4
This item first appeared in Town Manager goals in FY 2021 (July 2020).
Estimated time needed to submit application: 1 year to 18 months from July 2020.
Estimated time needed to form Joint Powers Entity: 1 year to 18 months from July 2020.
Estimated time needed for approval by DPU: 6 months from submission of application.
The implementation of our multi-municipality community choice electricity aggregation was put forward in the town’s Climate Action Adaptation and Resilience Plan (CAARP) as by far the most effective emissions reducer of all of the proposed actions. However, it has not been prioritized or fast tracked.
An emphasis was put on “implementation” in the Town Manager goals this year because things have been progressing so slowly. Though the towns have now completed all the requirements, the application has not yet been submitted and the Joint Powers Entity application has been temporarily tabled. Amherst is the lead community.
Though we have no control over how fast the DPU will approve the CCA application, we have had control over submitting the application. Amherst, Northampton, and Pelham authorized CCA in 2019. They approved the consultant Mass Power Choice in March of 2021. The contract with the consultant was held up in the Amherst accounting department for many months and not signed until June of 2022, after Valley Green Energy was created by the signing of a MOU. The CCA application was also delayed in part because the town Sustainability Director’s time is taken up with tasks that could be done by less experienced staff, like organizing the Sustainability Fair for several months this spring.
After meeting bi-monthly for many years, The Valley Green Energy Working group has been convened by town staff only a few times during 2023 despite the need for frequent meetings. In addition to having few meetings, new DPU rules are holding up the submission of the application.
In the event that the DPU application is made before year’s end, we will improve this score! To the extent that the Town can fast track approvals and counsel approvals, this would help get that done.
In addition, our members are concerned that so little communication and planning has happened among the towns to share their individual solar assessments and to integrate their solar projects into the plan to have an ever- increasing pool of locally sourced electricity serving the aggregation.
The Town Manager’s report of September 11 provided no update, only mentioning an action that occurred over a year ago. It stated, “Valley Green Energy: Amherst, Northampton, and Pelham formed Valley Green
Energy, a new electricity program that intends to bring cleaner electricity, stable
electricity prices, and new electricity choices.”
3. Take necessary steps towards and support the Town Council in developing a waste-hauler bylaw that is feasible and meets the goals of offering universal curbside compost pick-up and pay-as-you-throw fee structure and, if adopted, start implementation.
ACJA evaluation – 3
This item first appeared in Town Manager annual goals in 2023.
Estimated time needed for completion: 1 year.
There has been slow progress in moving the bylaw proposal forward. In June, 2021, the Town Service and Outreach Committee heard a report recommending changing our hauler system by the Department of Environmental Protection technical assistance coordinator. TSO recommended taking the matter to the Board of Health. In January, 2022, the Board of Health recommended the Council take it up, and again in June of 2022. The Council referred the bylaw proposal to The Town Services and Outreach Committee in August 2022. In March, 2023, the Town Manager stated that a Request for Information (RFI) of haulers would be completed within three weeks. In September, the RFI was put forward with a return date of October 5. The TSO Committee has discussed the issue but has taken no action yet. The main hold up is that the Town Manager has not dedicated any line staff to assist with the cost analysis.
4. Complete a Fleet Vehicle Inventory with a timeline for change to electric vehicles.
ACJA evaluation: 5 (Unable to judge)
This item first appeared in Town Manager goals in the calendar year 2022.
Estimated time needed for completion – 4 months.
ARPA funding for a baseline fleet vehicle greenhouse gas emissions inventory and development of a replacement and electric vehicle transition strategy was a welcome addition to the budget back in early 2022.
Implementation was targeted to begin in late 2022-early 2023. This is a task that is simple and straightforward and should be done by permanent professional staff. It should have been completed in 2022. Much of the work is already done.
We welcome the purchase of hybrid and electric cars – and a hybrid ambulance – for different departments and additional EV charging stations and look forward to a fully formed plan for transition of all town vehicles.
5. Update the GreenHouse Gas Inventory.
ACJA evaluation: 2 (This “Satisfactory” rating is based on the assumption that this inventory will become public soon.)
This item first appeared in Town Manager goals in FY21.
Estimated time needed for completion: 4 months
The 9/11/2023 Town Manager’s report states:
“The Town’s Fellows from the University of New Hampshire’s Sustainability Institute concluded their work and made a presentation to key town staff.”
We do want to see the final report. Also, we have some concerns about the fact that the new inventory has not updated its methodology to include “fugitive” methane emissions or consumption related emissions.
6. Develop and, if possible, begin implementation on a plan for community sustainability support which includes a heat pump program for residents.
ACJA evaluation: 3
This item first appeared in Town Manager annual goals in calendar year 2023.
Funding designated
Estimated time to start up and implement – 1 year.
The Sustainability Director has been seeking a consultant to run the program, funded with ARPA funds. The status of the RFP is unclear.
ACJA is glad that ARPA building sector funds ($385,000) will be used to develop, administer, and provide financial incentives for a residential heat pump program. It should be noted that requests have been made for years for the town to apply for this program. Many other communities, such as Northampton, took advantage of it as much as 5 years ago. We have not been able to apply for key grant programs like this one because we don’t have adequate staffing. Though this should have been done long ago, we acknowledge that it makes more sense to do it after the much greater federal incentives kick in after the first of the year.
While we are providing resources to homeowners to purchase heat pumps, we should at the same time be providing resources and incentives to help them with the rest of their home energy efficiency retrofits. There is much more to retrofitting a home than just adding heat pumps.
7. Develop and, if possible, begin implementation on a plan for community sustainability support which includes utilization of the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program for multifamily and business retrofits.
ACJA evaluation: 3
This item first appeared in Town Manager annual goals in calendar year 2023.
The town has gotten a start with implementing the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program by obtaining Town Council adoption of the program and obtaining a small grant (with ECAC) to implement an outreach plan to engage tenants and to educate business owners about these financing opportunities. We endorse this as a priority action for the town.
Tenants were hired to do outreach to other tenants on energy efficiency needs. The Sustainability Director has reported slow or no progress. An update is needed.
8. Complete a solar assessment.
ACJA evaluation: 1
This item first appeared in Town Manager goals in the calendar year 2023.
The 9/11/2023 Town Manager report states:
Solar: The solar community outreach report from GZA is complete and has been provided to the Solar Bylaw Working Group and Energy and Climate Action Committee, as well as Department Heads. The solar feasibility mapping tool is nearly complete and anticipated to be available soon.
9. Support the work of developing a solar bylaw.
ACJA evaluation: 1
This goal first appeared in Town Manager annual goals in the calendar year 2023.
We commend the town on creating a Solar Bylaw Working Group ( SBWG) to develop a solar zoning bylaw and establish a clear process and guidelines to support the permitting, siting, and construction of solar projects, including battery storage. We strongly urge much more emphasis and planning be put into finding innovative means to own our local solar projects, as is intended both by the Zero Energy Bylaw and our multi municipality electricity aggregation efforts.
The Solar Bylaw Working Group, charged with completing the bylaw by May 31, 2023, was extended and is still in progress as of Sept. 2023.
10. Complete a municipal building inventory of HVAC systems and timeline for change to electrification.
ACJA evaluation – 1 (as long as the public can access the final report).This item first appeared in the Town Manager annual goals in calendar year 2022.
Estimated time needed to complete – 4 months.
The 9/11/2023 Town Manager report states, “The Town’s Fellows from the University of New Hampshire’s Sustainability Institute concluded their work and made a presentation to key Town staff.”
Where can the public access this report?
11. Create a Climate Goals – Community Dashboard. (Create a publicly available dashboard and database to track the Town’s energy transition in its municipal capital infrastructure.)
ACJA evaluation – 3
This item first appeared in Town Manager annual goals in calendar year 2023.
ARPA funding has been available since early 2022.
Estimated time for completion – 1 year.
The 9/11/2023 Town Manager report states: “The town’s Sustainability Director and Director of Civic Engagement and Innovation met with KLA Associates to discuss development of a Community Dashboard that will prominently feature sustainability and climate change related initiatives. This project is being funded with ARPA Funds.”
Our climate action web presence is seriously lacking and needs upgrading. ARPA funding of a Community Dashboard ($25,000) is a welcome addition. It has been requested repeatedly for the last several years and should have been completed in 2022.
Status report needed.
12. Include in the Capital Inventory a timeline for the transition of municipal buildings, vehicles, and equipment from the use of fossil fuels.
ACJA evaluation – 4
This item first appeared in Town Manager annual goals in calendar year 2022.
Estimated time for completion: unknown
The 9/11/2023 Town Manager report (relating to the building inventory only) states: “The Town’s Fellows from the University of New Hampshire’s Sustainability Institute concluded their work and made a presentation to key Town staff.”
Update on the status of a town equipment inventory is needed.
In addition, the timelines for the transition from the use of fossil fuels have not been added to the capital inventory.
13. Maintain a list of future road and sidewalk repairs that incorporates the bike and pedestrian plan that is available to the public and updated regularly.
ACJA evaluation – 3
This item first appeared in the Town Manager goals in 2023.Estimated time needed for completion: 1 year.
Such a plan is in draft form, having been developed by Transportation Advisory Committee members. It has not been adopted. A status report is needed on this item.
Conclusion
We value the progress that has been made, but thus far, climate action has been on a slow track and lacking in transparency. We request that this be remedied, starting in this fiscal year.
We believe that more could have been accomplished in the past year with existing staff, but it is true that progress has been hampered by a lack of sufficient staff. We strongly urge the town to add two additional full time, professional level staff, which would create the capacity to find, apply for and implement more grants with more consistency and knowledge of the Town’s current situation This would save money by negating the need to continually hire consultants.
In addition, we request a commitment of additional capital funds each fiscal year and financial guidance that prioritizes climate action in order to fulfill our Council-adopted goals.
Each goal needs to be given a reasonable time frame for completion so that they are not simply repeated each year. Some are doable within a year or less, given staffing to do so.
We are pleased that the town dedicated $500,000 in the first round of ARPA Funding for Sustainability Initiatives and prioritized three actions identified in the CAARP, but we need a much more detailed and transparent prioritization of the plan to implement the actions in the CAARP over the next two fiscal years and a commitment to complete planned actions within each goal year. We would also like to see a commitment to using part of the second round of ARPA funds for the creation of solar canopies on the High School Parking Lot.
The 2022 Town Manager goals included a reporting requirement – to update on progress toward meeting our 2025 climate action goals. We still need such reporting. A simple report laying out the actions completed and a timeline for those projected to be taken over the next three fiscal years would be adequate.