A few weeks ago our town administrator, Thatcher Kezer, was kind enough to hold a public meeting on the town’s “green initiatives.”
First, it should be noted that the man is a charm bomb, a good communicator, upbeat and optimistic.
Second, it should be noted that “green initiatives” should not include adaptation projects. This would be analogous to offering a course in how to mend broken bones as part of a campaign to stop domestic violence.
While adapting to the results of our warming planet is a necessity, “green initiatives” should include projects, policies and behaviors that decrease that warming. In order to do this, it is imperative that we hire a sustainability director. Numerous funding opportunities have already been missed because we do not have a point person with deep knowledge about what funds are available and how to access them. It would also take weight off of other departments that are pursuing the same objectives piecemeal.
This role, in the short run, will cost the town money, but even Mr. Kezer noted during the meeting that within a year’s time the Framingham SD paid for themselves and thereafter generated funds for the town with which they could pursue further decarbonization objectives.
This role can no longer wait until other are filled. The climate crisis is here, now, and our town is very vulnerable. Let us put the hiring of a sustainability director at the front of the queue.
Judith Black
Prospect Street
