Town awarded Green Communities max. grant
By Mike BergerCanton is one of 15 communities in the Bay State to be awarded a maximum $200,000 Green Communities grant from the state Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
Town Planner Laura Smead, who applied for the grant, made the announcement at Tuesday’s Select Board meeting. Smead said the funds will pay for LED light conversions at the Luce and Hansen schools and help with building control updates at Town Hall. The money will be distributed soon and Smead said the town will soon be able to award contracts for the work.
This ninth annual round of Green Communities competitive grants is awarded to existing Green Communities that have successfully invested their initial designation grants and previous competitive grant awards. The grants provide financial support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that further the designated communities’ clean energy goals. Grants are capped at $200,000 per municipality. Funding for these grants is available through proceeds from carbon allowance auctions under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
“The Green Communities program helps cities and towns make important investments at the local level to combat climate change by reducing emissions,” said Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. “Air-source heat pumps, ventilation system upgrades, and electric vehicle charging stations are just some of the exciting new projects that these grants will fund in order to increase energy efficiency and clean energy innovation in municipalities across the state.”
In other business from the September 10 meeting:
* The Select Board agreed to help the Edward J. Beaty American Legion Post with some of its building operations costs due to the COVID-19 emergency. The board agreed to provide assistance with trash removal, pest control, and utility support not to exceed $2,500 per month from September to June 2021. An article will be placed on the next town meeting warrant for future expenditures after June 2021.
* Members of the Emergent BioSolutions management team made a formal presentation to the board concerning the company’s plans to add a new manufacturing facility to its Shawmut Road properties. The facility will produce a minimum of 46 new full-time jobs over the next three years, with salaries ranging from $35,000 to $210,000. Emergent BioSolutions is a global life science company that manufactures and develops vaccines, including for smallpox and COVID-19. The Select Board and the Board of Assessors are negotiating with the company on a Special Tax Incentive Agreement, subject to approval at the next town meeting. Emergent officials said they were attracted to Canton due to its location, its proximity to Boston, its workforce capabilities, and the town’s support for businesses …
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Posted by Mike Berger
on Sep 11 2020. Filed under News, Town Government.
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