Sudbury ESC votes 9-0 to fund sustainability coordinator $35,000 a year for four years

At its Jan. 13 meeting, the Town of Sudbury Energy and Sustainability Committee voted 9-0 to continue contributing $35,000 a year for four years toward the town’s Sustainability Coordinator position. Chair Rami Alwan moved the measure; the minutes record a unanimous vote in favor.

The motion, offered by Chair Rami Alwan, reads: "That [ESC] continue to fund the sustainability coordinator at $35,000 annually for the next four years." Supporters said the coordinator provides continuity for sustainability work while the town transitions responsibility to the municipal budget. Opponents of an open-ended pledge urged a defined term to avoid creating an expectation of perpetual committee funding.

Committee members agreed sustainability should ultimately be a core municipal function funded through the Town’s operating budget, but several said a fixed multi-year commitment would preserve flexibility while ensuring program continuity. Member Joe Martino cautioned against an indefinite commitment, and Vice Chair Olga Faktorovich Allen said the role should be embedded in the town budget as soon as feasible.

The vote formalizes ESC’s continued fiscal support for the position at a level slightly less than 25 percent of the current salary cost, and follows a phased funding history the committee reviewed: initial full state funding, followed by shifting shares among state, ESC and the Town. The committee recorded the motion as carried 9-0; no individual roll-call votes were recorded in the minutes.

The committee set its next regular meeting for Feb. 10, 2026, when members expect to revisit budgeting and other items on their agenda.