Council votes to send delegation letter on municipal fossil-fuel-free pilot, cites equity concerns for gateway cities
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Summary
Councilors approved sending a letter to the state delegation about participation in a municipal fossil-fuel-free pilot, with staff and councilors noting the pilot’s original design favored higher-income, owner-occupied communities and urging carve-outs and funding for gateway cities like Lowell.
On Dec. 16 the Lowell City Council voted to send a letter to the city's state delegation concerning municipal fossil-fuel-free pilot programs and the need to ensure equitable access for gateway cities. Councilor Wayne Jeunesse framed the motion and Councilor Muscia seconded it.
Catherine Moses, a city energy staffer, told the council that the existing pilot included about 10 communities with higher median incomes and that many pilot communities were predominantly owner-occupied. "The pilot was pulled from Lowell," Moses said, and she urged the delegation to consider carve-outs, steady funding streams and alternative ownership structures to address barriers for communities with renter populations and environmental-justice designations.
Councilors urged that the letter emphasize health and equity outcomes and suggested directing the letter to the delegation to seek legislative remedies that would allow cities like Lowell to participate. The council voted in favor of sending the letter.
Staff and councilors requested that Catherine Moses draft the letter to the state house and produce a one-page explanation for the full council with recommendations for legislative carve-outs and potential municipal pilot structures.
The council’s action directs outreach to state lawmakers; it does not commit Lowell to a pilot project or appropriate funds at this time.