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Westwood Town Planner Elijah Romulus is coordinating a task force to help him formulate the town’s first Climate Action Resiliency Plan – or CRS Plan. The Climate Action Task Force will be comprised of various town employees, along with town board and committee members.
“We will be looking at town projects that have been done in the past as we come up with goals related to sustainability in the future,” said Romulus.
A 2017 greenhouse gas inventory conducted by Westwood found that only about 3 percent of the town’s emissions were generated by municipal buildings and operations. “The bulk of the emissions came from residential buildings, passenger vehicles and the manufacturing industry,” said Romulus. “If the town were to embark on a substantial reduction plan, it would be an attempt to mitigate those areas.”
The town has been more forward looking, infusing sustainability into projects like the new Pine Hill Elementary School, which opens in February. Romulus said it will be a statewide model of school energy efficiency. In addition, the Planning Board recently approved solar carports at the high school.
Romulus is encouraging the public to attend two upcoming community visioning sessions. The first will be held on Oct. 19; the second on Nov. 2. Both sessions will begin at 6 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room at the main branch of the Westwood Public Library.
“During those sessions, I will be detailing the hazardous mitigation map we have for our town, and asking if there are any areas of concern for residents that aren’t already captured,” said Romulus. “I also hope to gauge the public’s interest in different goals that the task force will be setting and if they have any action steps they would like to suggest.”
In addition to studying the state’s Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2050, Romulus has been researching what other cities and towns have set for goals. He hopes to have Westwood’s CRS Plan completed by the summer of 2024.
When asked what steps residents can do to reduce their own carbon footprint now, Romulus suggested they look into the Mass Save program which offers energy audits to help make Massachusetts homes more energy efficient.
The public sessions will be recorded and can be watched back on Westwood Media Center’s
Anyone looking for more information on the CRS Plan and to help give Westwood a brighter and better future can visit the website found here.
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