At Monday night's Board of Selectman meeting, Peter Kane presented the work done so far by a group of Westwood residents to create an Environmental Committee. The committee seeks to take concrete action in Westwood to reduce carbon emissions, conserve energy, and perhaps even save the town some money. Visit the committee's website at http://www.westwoodec.com/ for more information and to get involved.

The Board of Selectmen approved the formation of the committee and agreed to sign up Westwood as a participant in the EPA's Community Energy Challenge - a program that will audit and benchmark current town energy use, then set a goal for reducing it. Needham and Dedham have already joined this program along with several other local communities. The committee will also plan an energy fair to educate the town about conservation resources and will likely be a helpful resource in future planning of construction projects such as the library renovation and new fire station to be developed as part of Westwood Station. Selectmen were supportive of the idea that the committee could help in the planning and design process to encourage more environmentally-conscious development.

Selectman also approved placing a warrant article on the May town meeting agenda to form a Community Preservation Act committee.  The Community Preservation Act provides a mechanism for towns to levy taxes for certain types of community-enhancing programs (affordable housing, open space, historical preservation) that are then eligible for state matching funds. Once the Act is adopted by town meeting and ratified by a ballot measure, subsequent town meetings may set the amount of the levy up to the amount authorized in the ballot measure. Another method for adopting the CPA is via petition and ballot measure, but this method failed in 2001 in Westwood.

The CPA is a controversial idea--of course no one like taxes--and the feeling in the room was that prior efforts had failed due to the petition + ballot approach. Putting the issue up for discussion at town meeting would set in motion a process by which the warrant article could be discussed at public hearings, voted on by the Finance Committee, and then argued at the May town meeting prior to even appearing on a ballot. This would provide citizens with much more opportunity for discussion and involvement and would allow the ballot vote to occur during the Presidential election--when it would likely be subject to 90% turnout. Rather than rely on petition activists and a spring election that might achieve 27% turnout, the Selectmen felt the town meeting + ballot process would be better, more open, and more likely to succeed.

Selectman Patrick Ahearn supported the recommendations of the advisory committee and described how lack of adopting the CPA is costing the town potential matching funds--and how the Act could allow the town, in the future, to increase revenue resources without raising taxes. If the development of Westwood Station increases tax revenue, this would allow a reduction in residential property taxes. Then, the argument could be made at town meeting to reduce the tax rate, but implement the CPA in an offsetting manner--so the net effect on a resident's tax bill would be neutral. Then, the CPA funds would be matched by the state, resulting in additional revenue for the town.

Right now, the fact that towns like Needham and Wellesley have adopted the CPA and Brockton has not, results in the rather bizarre outcome that Brockton residents are subsidizing (through the statewide-based matching funds) affordable housing in Needham and Wellesley. 

Selectman Nancy Hyde opposed placing the measure on the May town meeting agenda, at least for now, considering it unrealistic to predict future positive revenue growth in an uncertain economic climate and preferring to bring it up a year from now, after the dust has settled on the Westwood Station process. Selectmen voted 2-1 to have the advisory committee proceed with the town meeting warrant process.

In other items, Selectman authorized the Council on Aging to resume offering a passport processing service (helping residents obtain US passports) and authorized expenditures to continue funding an assistant for the town's HR department, a planning board assistant, and a developer-funded construction inspector position contingent on commencement of Westwood Station construction.