Swampscott to utilize $144G green grant

SWAMPSCOTT – The Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs will present Swampscott today with $143,800 from its Green Communities Grant which town officials said was a positive example of the town’s commitment to energy conservation.”This is a real positive result of the fact that the (Renewable Energy Committee) has taken energy conservation seriously,” said Town Administrator Andrew Maylor. He added that the selectmen, the committee and the town administration all decided that joining the Green Communities Act, which rewards communities for adapting five criteria to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy, enabled them to “be aggressive in ways to find funding.”Not that it wasn’t sometimes a time-consuming process.The town initially applied for the designation in May 2010. But the state rejected the application because four zoning amendments necessary for the designation were not worded according to state guidelines when the amended bylaws were approved at the May 2010 Town Meeting, according to conversations with Maylor and media reports. A special Town Meeting last October approved the guidelines in time for the town to be eligible for the program’s second round of funding, said Committee Chair Wayne Spritz.”The people who served on the green communities worked so hard and so under the radar,” said Selectman Jill Sullivan. “They just diligently and ardently worked to get this done. This is very rewarding for those members.”Spritz said that the money will be divided among three projects.Approximately $51,250 will be used to upgrade the steam traps in the heating systems at the Clark and Stanley schools, he said. Approximately $79,000 will be spent on lighting upgrades at the high school and middle schools, and the balance will be used to fund the joint town planner/energy coordinator position, he added. Town Meeting this May approved a budget which included the remaining funds for the position.Spritz said that while he didn’t think that the state will present the town with a blank check at tomorrow’s ceremony – as the town submits the state for reimbursement of costs once the project is completed – he will be in the audience.The projects approved for the funding – which was officially announced in March – will begin “very, very soon,” Spritz added.