Sudbury committee prepares outreach ahead of select board questions on opt-in stretch energy code

A member of Sudbury's Energy and Sustainability Committee said she will join the select board meeting the evening of the same day to answer a list of questions about adopting the state's opt-in stretch energy code.

"Dan Carty had a very long list of questions that he wanted answered," Rami said, and she will attend virtually with Dylan Patel, the Department of Energy Resources' Northeast representative who helped prepare the presentation. The committee discussed whether to hold a contractor-only meeting, a public forum or both before the town meeting; town meeting is scheduled for the first week in May.

Committee members noted past experience where a stretch code was adopted at town meeting with minimal outreach; Jim Kelly previously presented the local stretch code at town meeting and it passed without apparent controversy. Still, several members thought a contractor-only meeting would be useful. "I feel like a contractor only meeting would be good because we want that group of stakeholders to feel loved, high touch," a committee member said, arguing that builders could raise concentrated objections.

Rami said she will contact 10 contractors who pulled permits in the last four years; the committee was told there were 14 new housing starts in the town over four years, handled by roughly 10 builders. The group agreed to try to schedule a contractors' meeting before town meeting and to create an FAQ for lighter public outreach if the select board does not request broad engagement.

No vote was taken; committee members prioritized outreach scheduling and named next steps including a contractor meeting and a planned public presentation if the select board requests it.