Milton is racing toward a June deadline to secure a "Climate Leader Communities" designation, a move that would open the door to significant state funding for municipal energy upgrades. During the April meeting of the Climate Action Planning Committee, Chair Alex detailed the town’s multi-pronged strategy to secure these resources, including a pending Green Communities competitive grant to overhaul the Council on Aging’s heating system. The proposed project would install a variable refrigerant flow heat pump system to fully displace the building's current natural gas usage while providing new cooling capabilities. Alex noted that the town is already thinking about the shift toward electrification, having recently sat down with Department of Public Works (DPW) mechanics to identify necessary training and resources for maintaining an electric fleet.

The committee’s discussion centered heavily on navigating the complexities of state grant applications. Alex explained the necessity of close coordination with town staff, noting that in my experience, you usually have to find somebody on town staff to take the lead because we generally don't have authority to apply for grants on behalf of the town ourselves. This prompted a conversation about the role of a potential energy fellow, a position Milton is applying for through a joint proposal with Randolph. Kyle asked about the specifics of the fellow's role, particularly regarding the grant application for improving communications surrounding climate issues. Alex indicated the fellow would provide crucial support for energy savings assistance and help finalize the broader Climate Action Plan. Steve expressed interest in supporting these administrative hurdles, asking, Is that something we can ghostwrite or do a first draft of and provide to the right person?

Financial and technical assessments are also underway at Milton High School. Ron reported that a comprehensive building assessment is nearing completion, which includes cost estimates for various electrification technologies. I think the assessment of the high school looked at different technologies for electrifying the building and had geothermal costs, Ron said, though he expressed surprise that some available state incentives were not fully reflected in initial draft findings. Alex added that the high school's potential move toward heat pumps is often driven by the desire to add air conditioning to the facility. To further educate town officials and the public on these technologies, Ron proposed a co-sponsored presentation by GreenerU in June. I got a commitment from GreenerU to do a presentation... the technology is applicable to [town officials], Ron noted, emphasizing the importance of getting school and finance leaders in the room.

On the waste management front, the committee is setting aggressive targets for 2026, including doubling the number of households participating in composting and slashing the recycling contamination rate to 10%. Kim reported that the current contamination rate has hovered as high as 17%, often due to "wish-cycling" or residents placing recyclables in plastic bags. I think 10% is going to be challenging, Kim admitted, adding that Cassandra found in an audit that a lot of people had their recycling in plastic bags, which is an easy point to get across. Alex suggested a more lighthearted approach to the problem, remarking that we should do a goofy video about it to reduce the shame of recycling errors. Kim also informed the committee that DPW Director Marina Fernandez is departing the town, with Consolidated Facilities Director Tom McCarthy set to take over the role.

The Conservation Working Group is also preparing for a major stakeholder summit in May. Rehan presented a framework to bring together the Neponset River Watershed Association, the Shade Tree Advisory Committee, the Friends of the Blue Hills, and the Milton Conservation Commission. I tried to frame the meeting that the conservation group hopefully will have in May. I wanted to define who it was and what it wants to do, Rehan explained. The goal is to move past individual-level recommendations and focus on broader policy issues. Matt suggested leveraging the large reach of these partner organizations, noting that Friends of the Blue Hills has 13,000 people on an email list. This could be the start of a communication plan coordinated through us and the town.

While the focus remains on electrification, Steve raised the possibility of alternative fuels for the town’s heaviest vehicles. For heavy vehicles like trucks, hydrogen seems to be a more energy-efficient interest than batteries, Steve suggested, noting that hydrogen can now be generated through plug-in generators. Alex remained skeptical of the public's perception of the technology, joking that the Hindenburg would be most people's first thought. However, the committee agreed that the immediate "low-hanging fruit" remains the transition of administrative vehicles to electric power. Steve also noted he would be meeting with state transportation officials, stating, I'm identifying a stakeholder group. Fortuitously, we're having some MassDOT and MBTA folks in the building tomorrow for other purposes, and I can talk to them about what we're trying to do.

Toward the end of the session, the committee discussed the timing of future public outreach. Arthur, who joined the meeting in progress, advocated for strategic scheduling to avoid overwhelming residents. Arthur suggested avoiding May if conservation is doing it. Maybe June, Kim noted during the waste management update. Before the meeting concluded, the committee formalized its previous records. Motion Made by M. [Matt] to approve the March meeting minutes. Motion Passed 6-0-0.