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CMLP chair’s report: sustainability roundtable, charger vandalism and middle-school solar licensing
Summary
Board received staff updates on a December sustainability roundtable, recent vandalism to a level‑3 EV charger, tree‑trimming RFP timing, solar and battery site‑license issues at the middle school, and broadband staffing and dark‑fiber leases.
At the start of the meeting, the board received a routine chair’s report and several staff updates on operations and projects.
Board Chair Warren opened the report and turned it to Jason, who said he attended a December 11 sustainability roundtable at the Goodwin Forum and thanked staff and Minute Man Media for recording and posting the session. Jason also reported that a level‑3 electric vehicle charger at a town location was vandalized and taken offline: “the screen is definitely broken and it's unsafe because there's exposed components,” he said; CMLP filed a police report and planned a service visit from the vendor. He noted the vandalism affected one of two chargers at the site.
Jason updated the board on a middle‑school solar and battery project. He said the superintendent has a draft site license (in staff’s possession since November) and that the school committee has questions; staff warned that issuing an RFP without a signed site license risks bid withdrawal or expired proposals. Jason said the rooftop solar RFP and a separate RFP for the battery are ready but that awards will depend on having the necessary site licenses and any town‑meeting borrowing authorizations. “We do have the RFP ready for the battery as well,” he said, but acknowledged the school committee had more questions about battery safety.
Other operational notes included: tree‑trimming bids expected the following Tuesday covering roughly half the town with a pause for Patriots’ Day activities; Mass Save rebate changes effective January 1 requiring program changes; broadband staffing now at two network engineers and ongoing renegotiations of expiring dark‑fiber leases with third parties such as Crown Castle; and staff work to implement the board‑approved 2025 rates (deadline for programming was noted as imminent).
Board members pressed staff for clarity on site‑license scope for the middle‑school project and on the distinction between the solar site license and a separate battery license. Jason said the solar and canopy licenses are separate and the battery site license would be additional. The board directed staff to continue outreach to the school committee and to keep the project moving while being sensitive to safety and committee concerns.
No formal votes on these operational items were taken at the meeting.
