Given the climate crisis, the next 10 years may turn out to be the most important decade of the 21st century. In an effort to avoid the worst effects of climate change, Massachusetts has set ambitious goals to drastically cut carbon emissions by 2030, on the way to zero net emissions by 2050. For cities and towns, this undertaking will bring not only challenges but also tremendous opportunities as they strive to transition away from fossil fuels in a just and fair way that benefits all residents.
Each question is followed by the answers as submitted by each candidate. We have also provided each candidate’s complete responses in separate PDFs for your reference.
1) Although climate change is a global issue, it has very real local impacts (e.g.: severe weather, air quality, and health). Where does our climate crisis rank for you on our Town’s priorities? Please share your personal and and/or professional experiences working in this area, if any.
Marianne Cooley
Climate is one lens that I use to consider issues. It’s likely in the top 5 of my “big bucket” priorities, but the answers are not all in place and there will be an evolution over the next 20-30 years. This area is clearly a priority because I have chosen to allocate my time to the Climate Action Planning Committee. As the Secretary of the Board at Wellesley College, I have had a bird’s eye seat in the College’s planning for a carbon neutral future as we replaced our co-gen power plant, plan for the possibility of geothermal, replace steam with low temperature hot water for heat, provide charging stations for electric vehicles, stormwater capture and move lighting to LEDs. As a Select Board member, it is important to note that I don’t think any member can be a “single issue” member – it is important to the Town, every year, that we move forward on multiple fronts.
Cathy Dowd
Climate change is one of my top three priorities for the Town, along with housing and capital improvements to our schools.
Human-caused climate change is an existential threat to all of us, and it is the #1 concern of my high school students. We in Needham must do our part to meet the state’s climate goals. I would like to see Needham be a leader on this issue.
Josh Levy
Like a chronic illness, climate change is a pressing concern that requires frequent monitoring, maintenance, and preventative care to ensure that its effects do not worsen. The Town must set goals to reduce its energy consumption (regardless of energy source), improve energy efficiency of equipment, and phase out fossil fuel use. These goals must be considered both in the day-to-day operations of the town (such as usage of buildings, vehicles, and equipment) and in the construction of new buildings. It is also important that these goals support the ongoing services that the Town provides. For these reasons, I want to see climate change priorities baked into all existing Town priorities. Efforts to slow — and hopefully one day reverse — the effects of climate change require constant vigilance.
2) The Commonwealth has adopted aggressive plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In March 2021, the next-generation roadmap for Massachusetts climate policy codified a roadmap for the Commonwealth to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, with 2030 and 2040 targets along the way. The Select Board has commissioned the creation of a Climate Action Plan for the Town that will meet or exceed the State’s goals.As a new Select Board member, how will you prioritize and support this work?
Marianne Cooley
Since I am not a new member and I have already prioritized this work, I will continue to work on the priorities that the committee develops. Work has begun on Community Electric Aggregation; the working groups’ work product is now the basis for the Town’s Climate Action Plan and that is being written; we are working to be able to hire a Sustainability Director who can start working to obtain climate grants for Needham over the next year. The committee is discussing zoning in order to make some recommendations for the Planning Board’s consideration. Those recommendations will impact new buildings and significant renovations in Needham as we move forward.
Cathy Dowd
I was very happy that the Select Board created the Climate Action Plan Committee, and I think they are doing excellent work.
I believe that implementing the Climate Action Plan should be a top priority for the Select Board. It is clear that the United States has delayed too long to address this issue, so we all have an obligation to act quickly to catch up.
At Town Meeting, I voted to fund the consultant for the CAPC, so that the committee could make its recommendations in a timely manner. I now support the hiring of a sustainability director to help the town do the work necessary to implement the Climate Action Plan. In the coming year, I look forward to taking a serious look at adopting the net zero energy code, as other towns are doing this spring.
Josh Levy
The Select Board must create policies to address energy consumption of town buildings and vehicles in order to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions. My top climate priorities include Energy Conservation (limiting energy use while buildings are closed to the public and limiting idling of town vehicles), Energy Efficiency (installing energy efficient equipment wherever possible), and shifting to Renewable Energy Sources (phasing out fossil fuel use and negotiating Community Energy Aggregation for green and inexpensive electricity). In addition, the town can work to educate private property owners on the benefits of implementing similar measures in their homes or places of business.
3) Will you support the May Town Meeting warrant article to implement a ban on single-use plastic checkout bags in Needham? What ideas do you have for promoting reusable bag use and reducing single-use plastics in Needham?
Marianne Cooley
As a Select Board member, I am still waiting to hear from members of the public and local businesses. What I know is that if everyone used reusable bags, we would not need this measure. We need to put our commitment into action – or we are not really committed. Single use bags of any type can be detrimental to the environment. The best thing that could happen, and that has actually changed behavior in other communities, would be for the State to permit any local merchant to charge for use of a single use bag. To change from single use plastic to single use paper is helpful, but it is still costly from an energy perspective.
Cathy Dowd
I will support the warrant article to ban single-use plastic bags. They are damaging to the environment, and most of the surrounding towns have already enacted similar bans, which appear to be working.
In order to further promote reusable bag use, we can look at cash incentives to bring one’s own bag. Our goal should be to have authority to impose bag charges either by home rule petition, or a law of general application
Josh Levy
Yes, I will vote in favor of the citizens’ petition to restrict the use of single-use plastic bags.
One notable item that the article does not address is the yellow trash bags used to dispose of household trash at the RTS. Those are also single-use bags whose sole purpose is to be thrown away! As a member of the Select Board, I would like to re-examine the yellow bag system.
4) Buildings are responsible for over ⅓ of all greenhouse gas emissions and are among the town’s longest-lived assets. Will you support making sustainability and carbon reduction a priority for all new and renovated town buildings? Will you support and prioritize non-fossil fuel HVAC for all new town buildings, and where practical, in renovations and replacement of existing systems?
Marianne Cooley
I have supported making sustainability and carbon reduction a priority for all new and renovated town buildings for 20 years. The Town has transitioned over that time from oil to natural gas significantly lowering emissions over that period. Now, we are approaching the next transition. We need to be assured that Eversource can supply the necessary power to transition municipal buildings, and we do not have that assurance yet. I suspect there will be a period where we will need to bear the cost of “doing both” – natural gas and electric-ready to be assured that our municipal facilities can operate year round.
Cathy Dowd
We have some major capital projects ahead of us over at least the next decade, and we hope these buildings will last us a very long time. Given that we are aiming for net zero in 2050, it does not seem prudent to build or renovate town buildings in ways that are not sustainable. Although it may save some money in the short run, such a practice will just create bigger bills and more headaches down the road.
Josh Levy
Yes, solar should be included in building designs where practical. Solar may not be practical on some historic buildings or on buildings where sunlight is obscured by trees, such as the Public Service Administration Building (PSAB). The PSAB uses geothermal heat pumps in its non-fossil fuel HVAC system, which can serve as a model for other buildings. In assessing which non-fossil fuel system to implement, the town should consider energy efficiency, upfront costs, and demands for ongoing maintenance.
5) Many Massachusetts cities and towns have hired a Sustainability Coordinator to support sustainability-related work in and across departments. Given the many sources of state and federal funding currently available for climate-related projects, these staff members are often able to secure funding that more than offsets their salary. Do you support the Town hiring a permanent Sustainability Coordinator?
Marianne Cooley
The Town is not able to hire a permanent Sustainability Director this year as we do not have a Climate Action Plan yet. However, the Select Board has identified some ARPA funds that are non-recurring that might be used to temporarily hire someone to do this function. That will give us time to see if that person is able to secure funding that more than offsets their salary, and to understand the ways that they can bring value to the Town and assistance to homeowners making decisions about replacement climate-friendly heating and air conditioning units in their homes.
Cathy Dowd
I strongly support hiring a permanent sustainability director for a number of reasons. First, because if we want to fully implement our plan, we need the responsibility to reside in a single person, rather than splitting responsibility among many staff. Second, we need a person who can navigate the whole process of setting up Community Electricity Aggregation (CEA). Third, the sustainability director will help both the town and its citizens to access federal and state dollars. Lastly, we will need to educate the public, not only about CEA, but about their options when they are contemplating steps to decarbonize their homes.
Josh Levy
The Select Board has allocated federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to hire a Sustainability Coordinator for 18 months. I look forward to seeing the impact of this new position and understanding under which department it best fits, as the role can potentially impact several departments. Needham had a similar experience when it first hired its Emergency Management Coordinator, which was first shared between the Fire and Health departments. After a review of the position, it was expanded and now sits entirely within the Fire department. Taking the next 18 months to observe the Sustainability Coordinator’s impact on the town’s operations will ensure the maximum efficacy of the role going forward.
6) As the Town works to cut carbon emissions and help Needham residents adapt to the damaging effects of climate change, what can the Select Board do to ensure that the process is fair and benefits all residents regardless of income, race, or ethnicity?
Marianne Cooley
I would expect that any affordable housing projects we commission will be built to passive house standards, will include non-fossil fuel heat and cooling sources, and be fueled by electricity that can be greened over time. Further, I expect that we will need to organize to help citizens understand the climate friendly choices that they can make as they need to upgrade or renovate their houses and how to access available grants to help pay for new systems. We have talked about the need for ambassadors to help people understand their options. We have also discussed how the Building Department might be able to help educate developers.
Cathy Dowd
The process of moving away from fossil fuels will mean replacing older appliances and equipment in the home over time. For many people, this may seem out of reach financially, but there is significant state and federal funding available. I think that the sustainability director can help residents access these state and federal subsidies so that they can make the needed renovations in an affordable way.
Josh Levy
Costs associated with retrofitting private homes and businesses with renewable energy sources can be burdensome for many people. It is important to recognize that not everyone is in a position to be an early adopter of innovative technologies. Emphasizing multiple ways to reduce carbon emissions, such as energy conservation and energy efficiency, can help everyone contribute to, benefit from, and feel included in the efforts to combat climate change.
7) Please address anything else you’d like to include to let voters know how your service as a Select Board member would further sustainable practices in the Town of Needham.
Marianne Cooley
I am grateful for the work that Green Needham has done in working with the Town RTS to make food composting available. My family has added that to our weekly recycling. I’m not big on preaching, but I show up with my reusable bottle or, increasingly, reusable mug. I bring my reusable bag. I think about packaging. And Meatless Mondays have been a day in our house for a while. Somehow, each of us needs to act like this is a priority.
Cathy Dowd
I would like to see Needham lead in combating climate change. Not only should we do our part to meet the state’s targets, but we should strive to be an example to other communities. At the same time, we can learn from other best practices. When we see other towns taking innovative approaches to this problem, we should give them serious consideration here.
Josh Levy
Ensuring clean water is a top priority for ecological sustainability. Since Needham has more river frontage than most other communities in Massachusetts, we have an outsized responsibility to remediate and clean the stormwater that flows into our drains and the Charles River. In addition, many neighboring communities, including Natick and Wayland, have had unsafe levels of PFAS contamination in the water supply. PFAS are chemicals that have negative health implications and are difficult to remove from the environment once they are introduced. Needham has some contamination of its drinking water, but it currently remains within safety limits. I am committed to continuing and expanding funding for Needham’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, replacing excess paved (i.e. impermeable) surfaces with green space to enable natural ground filtration of stormwater, and reviewing sources of PFAS contamination in Needham so that such contamination can be reduced or eliminated.
