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Date: 1/18/2023
EAST LONGMEADOW – The East Longmeadow Town Council debated the adoption of a fuel-efficient vehicle policy at its meeting on Jan. 10. The policy is one of five criteria required to be designated by the state as a Green Community and be eligible for grant funding through that program.
The Green Communities program provides one-time guaranteed grant funding when a community is designated and the opportunity to apply for competitive grants thereafter. To be designated a Green Community, municipalities must satisfy criteria, such as zoning areas for renewable or alternative energy-generating facilities, creating an energy use reduction plan and adopting the fuel-efficient vehicle policy.
The policy would require the town, when replacing vehicles, to “purchase fuel-efficient vehicles for municipal use, whenever such vehicles are commercially available and practicable.” The replacement vehicles would need to reach a minimum fuel efficiency of 29 mpg for cars, 20 mpg for vans, 18 mpg for pickup trucks and 21 mpg for sport utility vehicles. Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of more than 8,500 pounds would be exempt.
Town Council President Ralph Page pointed out that 15 of the 24 vehicles on the town’s inventory list had a GVW of over 8,500 pounds. Town Manager Mary McNally said the list was originally created for insurance purposes and did not delineate between exempt and non-exempt vehicles. Planning and Community Development Director Bailey Mitchell noted that the inventory is to be used as a “reference point,” only.
Page also said he is concerned that departments will request heavier vehicles to ensure they are exempt. He went on to say he was “aggravated.”
“To me, it looks like the state is trying to push everyone to purchase electric vehicles,” Page said. McNally agreed. Page cited the small number of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the area and said, “I find it very difficult to advance a program when the infrastructure’s not even there.”
Town Council Vice President Marilyn Richards noted that California, which struggled with heat wave-induced brownouts in late summer 2022, had asked people not to charge electric vehicles during peak hours as it was a drain on the electric grid.
McNally acknowledged that there are not enough EV charging stations.
Catherine Ratte of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, which is consulting with the town on preparations for a Green Communities designation, addressed the assumption that replacement vehicles would need to be electric, saying that they need only be more efficient.
McNally impressed an urgency upon the council to act on the policy. She said she feared East Longmeadow will be left without access to the grant funding provided by the Green Communities program if they miss the annual deadline for designation in March.
However, some councilors were reconsidering the pursuit of the Green Communities designation altogether due to Jan. 1 changes to the Stretch Energy Code, a Green Communities requirement that had been adopted by the council in November of 2021.
Councilor Matthew Bouchard said he was told the Stretch Energy Code would make the new East Longmeadow High School more than $125,000 more expensive. Richards confirmed that the project’s consultant implied that the Stretch Energy Code was driving up costs.
Ratte pointed out the long-term energy cost savings for the new high school and said the designation grant would be at least $125,000 and that did not include the competitive grants for which the town would then be eligible.
Boucher said the competitive grants were “like rolling dice,” but Ratte said the competitive grants are “not that competitive” because the state has designated the money for the program and wants municipalities to save energy. Palmer, for example, has brought in over $2 million in grants since it became a Green Community in 2011. The program distributes $20 million per year and a municipality can apply for up to $200,000 per year in grants, McNally provided.
Councilor Kathleen Hill said that the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which reimburses municipalities for a portion of school building costs, has energy efficient standards and the town would not want to “jeopardize” the reimbursement by lowering the building’s efficiency.
McNally argued it would be unfair to repeal the code because it would cost the town more money when residents and businesses have paid extra to make their structures efficient in the past 14 months. Page disagreed. He recalled that before the town adopted the stretch code, Mark Rabinsky, Green Communities coordinator for Western Massachusetts, had explained that many builders were already using the Stretch Energy Code because it was close to the standard building code. The Jan. 1 updates would change that, he said.
“It’s leaping way above what the building code’s going to be,” Page said of the new Stretch Energy Code. He said he has spoken with builders who are concerned they cannot meet the new standards.
Turning back to the adoption of the fuel-efficient vehicle policy, Page said he was worried the town would update the vehicle efficiency standards in the same way.
Mitchell remarked that the annual overhead would be lower on fuel-efficient vehicles, but Page countered that maintenance and battery replacement would lead to higher overhead.
Councilor Michael Kane, a police officer, said first responders are trained on specific vehicles and suddenly changing to another make and model for efficiency’s sake would require new training. Fellow Councilor Connor O’Shea reminded Kane that most emergency vehicles are exempt from the policy.
O’Shea went on to say EVs are “really not that much more expensive” than combustion-engine vehicles, and “all of these [Green Communities criteria] eventually save the town money.” He added that the council needed to think long-term and pointed out that the town just appropriated $50,000 to pay a prior year’s bills due to utility costs. If the regulations become prohibitive, the state will course correct, he assured.
The topic was tabled until the council’s next meeting.
Craft 32 change
A public hearing was conducted to consider a change in ownership and liquor license for the Craft 32, at 53 North Main St., now to be known as East Village Tavern. Attorney Daniel Kelly came before the council with one of the owners, John Sullivan.
Kelly told the council that Sullivan will be the manager of record and work full-time at the restaurant. Sullivan has received alcohol service training through the Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) program, as will all employees. Sullivan and his wife have been working at Craft 32 as employees over the previous two months and made changes to the menu in preparation for the change to the new business.
Richards pointed out that East Longmeadow does not allow taverns, which zoning regulations define a tavern as “an establishment used primarily for the serving of liquor.” She said having the word in the name of the business, “sends a mixed message.” She asked if Sullivan and his business partner, Joseph Sullivan, would consider changing the name.
Kelly assured, “This is not going to be a nightclub,” but a “well-run restaurant.” Nonetheless, he agreed to speak with the owners about the matter.
Eight people, mostly from the East Forest Park neighborhood of Springfield where Nathan Bill’s is located, spoke on behalf of the Sullivans. East Forest Park Civic Association President Frank Ryan, former WWLP news anchor Barry Kriger and former president of the Springfield St. Patrick’s Day Committee Kerry Sullivan – no relation – spoke about the generosity and community dedication of the Sullivans. The last said the Sullivans “go above and beyond” for charities, teachers and firefighters, while Kriger stated, “I’ve never seen such a commitment to the neighborhood and the community.”
Abutter Sydney Starks said Sullivan has addressed all the neighbors’ concerns and he “wholeheartedly” recommended approving the business.
A Wilbraham resident and former employee of Sullivan’s praised him as a boss, mentor and business owner. Springfield City License Commissioner Peter Sygnator said Sullivan had “turned a moderately successful restaurant into Springfield’s version of Cheers,” referencing the fictional bar from 1980s television show of the same name. “A bar where everyone knows your name,” he explained. He added that Nathan Bill’s was a “wonderful gathering spot for friends, neighbors and coworkers.”
Chris Caputo, the former president of the East Forest Park Civic Association said Nathan Bill’s had not been a problem in “over nine years,” despite a 2015 fight between off-duty police officers and bar patrons that stemmed from an altercation at the bar.
Ultimately, the council approved the business changes.
Rezoning
Attorney Joshua Levine petitioned the council on behalf of his client for a zoning change to the property at 312 Parker St. Levine said the lot is “odd-shaped” and the owner would like to add a portion of the property to an abutting property on Rollins Drive owned by his daughter. As the two properties are zones differently, Levine explained, 312 Parker St. must be rezoned Residential AA to Residential A before the land can be transferred. The council approved the petition, which will now be heard by the Planning Board at a public hearing.
New hires
McNally announced several changes in key town positions. Kim Collins has been hired to replace Stephen Lonergan as the town’s director of municipal finance. Collins had been the town accountant in Ludlow.
The East Longmeadow Fire Department has recently changed its structure, adding a deputy fire chief position. Capt. Christopher Beecher, who has served as public fire and life safety educator, was promoted to the post.
Jerry Rathe was hired as the new veterans’ service officer for the Eastern Hampden County Veterans Service District, which includes East Longmeadow, Wales and Hampden. Rathe will be in East Longmeadow from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday, Tuesday and Friday, and is available at 525-5400, ext. 1416.