Right. Um, I'm Maria Curts. I work at --------- the Franklin Regional Council of Governments. I'm the livability planner there. Um, and we were brought on to do a neighborhood inventory of the downtown area as well as, uh, the Deerfield
Street neighborhood. Um, and it is technically a Sulland light inventory, which is not a name that we love. Um, but it's a federal program. Um, and basically, uh, if a, uh, community or a neighborhood is designated light, it
allows the city to apply for funding that can be really critical for a bunch of different upgrades that can really help us make improvements around uh, around the city. Um so it's basically meant to keep um kind of the marginal properties from deteriorating further
and to um offer funds to improve infrastructure in these neighborhoods that can then you know support further improvements. Why do it? Because it allows us to inventory a progress that's been made since the last blight inventory which
was done 10 years ago. um and to apply for this funding. Um this these are some examples of other projects that were funded with the CDBG funds um through Slim and Blight. Um a signage program um
and lots of sidewalk improvements. So if these conditions are met and approved, um it's valid for 10 years. So, we had a public information session in April where we talked about this project was going to be happening. We did fieldwork to document all of these
existing conditions. Um, May through September, um, Furcohog assessed the buildings and properties and we subcontract subcontracted out um, engineering services to Taiin Bond and they did um, all of the infrastructure
uh, determinations which I'll show in a little bit. Um the public hearing to present the results is today. We do have um a draft um report. The final draft will be posted to the Furcohog website
and I assume also onto the city website. Um the city council will need to vote on accepting the findings and then the final report will be sent to the executive office of housing and livable communities. um and they will approve it and it will be formally designated.
So what are the criteria? Uh there's kind of two main criteria which is that it needs to the neighborhood needs to meet um MGL chapter 121B definition of slum and blight and then um the neighborhood must have at least 25% of
the categories in each of the categories in each category below. Um and so Greenfield's results, 33% of the buildings in the identified neighborhoods um had some kind of physical deterioration. So we rated them
um excellent, uh good, fair, poor. And so to be considered physically deteriorated, they needed to be fair or poor. And those were based off of a series of criteria evaluating the full property. And none of this to be clear is a
judgment on any individual property. It's um it's done on kind of an aggregated basis. So the the maps that we have that are included in the report and the individual surveys don't affect anyone's property value or anything like that. It's really meant to assess a
neighborhood as a whole. Um and so we also had a comparison um between the properties assessed in these neighborhoods and the um a comparable neighborhood to see if the property values were considered lower than what
kind of a a quote unquote normal would be or a baseline. Um so 41% of the properties that were in the identified neighborhoods uh were considered abnormally low. 2% had potential environmental contamination and then 100% of the categories of public
infrastructure were considered deteriorated. And I I have a further table that explains that a little bit more. So this is just a graph that shows the overall property ratings. Honestly, there was a lot of excellent and good and so I I think that the the city
should be really proud of that. Um but there is enough fair and poor properties that you'll be eligible for the slum and blight designation. And so, um, this is an example of, uh, CCTV that was done of scoping, um, sewer
lines. Um, you can see that there's roots in here. All that kind of white webbing is tree roots that are infiltrating sewer lines. And so, this is one of the things that, um, engineers were looking at when they were scoping those is to see were there cracks, were there places where you could see dirt,
were there tree roots invading the sewer lines? Um, all of those things that would >> So, so that photograph you're inside the sewer pipe, >> correct? Yeah. So, they put a camera through there. >> So, somehow, >> are you sharing something on a screen
because people that are online can't see it? >> Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. >> I'm like, I don't I'm like, she's speaking and everybody's looking at the wall and I don't know what it is that you guys are talking about. >> It's shared to the >> Thank you >> group.
Maybe unshare and share. >> I'm so sorry. I usually check because I fear this exact thing. Can you see it now? >> Folks online. >> Let me let me see. Um yes, if I move to a different page. Thank you.
>> Yeah. And I can go back and show you quickly to the um >> these are the pictures that are examples of other projects that were done with this funding. And then um these are the numbers that I was just giving about the different
categories and how they were graded. And this is the overall property ratings graph that shows the excellent good, fair, poor designations. And so this is the image I was talking about. That is one of the examples of um scoping the water and sewer lines that
were done to evaluate um whether those were in good fair poor condition um and identify if there are certain areas that should be prioritized for infrastructure improvements so that when the funding is obtained um we're not we're not guessing
at where that funding should be aimed at. Um and so the table to the left shows the different infrastructure categories that were evaluated um and the percentage that were considered in four or four fair or poor condition and
whether it met the criteria of being 25% um deteriorated or more which all of them did. Um, water lines were the the biggest concern. Um, which I don't think would come as a surprise to anyone who's been paying attention to other work being done around town that water lines
tend to have a lot of issues. Um, so 99% of the water lines that were evaluated were in fair or poor condition. Um, 86% of the sewer. Um, and then the other ones were were slightly less concerning, but those ones were the big ones. So, so
yeah. Yeah, I'm curious how you assess the water lines and I'm curious about the roots, the tree roots, how they get inside the pipe. >> Yeah. So, um of sometimes, um there are sewer or water lines are either clay
pipes or PVC pipes. Um, and so eventually as freezing and thawing happens, things crack or joints expand and contract and there there'll be breakage and so soil will start to fall in which can then, you know, clog pipes.
Um, it allows areas for things to get stuck as they're passing through. Um, and then it allows for tree roots as they are they want water and so they're moving towards the pipes and um, and so that those cracks are kind of where those are allowed to to kind of start to
emerge and once they start to go through obviously those are expanding and and kind of creeping and crawling their way and so they only get worse. Um, and so in the final report you'll see that there are >> and and so that was thank you for talking about that. Sure. But what about
the water pipes? Cuz that's a >> Yeah, there I mean >> a different kind of a pipe and >> Yeah, similar. I I don't know the details. The the full report has the breakdown of the different criteria that they looked at >> why they're Yeah. So why they're fair or
poor? Okay. >> Yeah. So each um section both for the properties and for the um infrastructure each area evaluated has its own card. So these reports are like hundreds of pages long because it goes into detail of for
each section what they looked at and why it was given that score along with the pictures from the CCTV. >> Thank you. >> Yes. >> Um yeah, if anyone has questions, feel free to to contact me or my colleague
Megan. Um and we'll have those final reports posted for people to take a look at. Um, I think they're very interesting. They they are a lot of information, but if there's especially if there's certain sections that you're or certain types of infrastructure that people are interested in understanding
what condition they're in, it's a lot of really solid information to take a look at. >> Thank you so much, Martin. Yeah. Um, I guess I'll stop sharing for now. Do folks have any other questions or
discussion about the report? Like Maria said, it will be shared um it'll be shared with the city council as part of their process, but and and the Furcog will have it available on your website, but we will also put it up on the community development department website um people are curious.
>> So, okay. So, I probably missed at the beginning you were talking about the process. So, you're trying to get the area designated as slum and blight so that you're eligible for grants, right? >> Correct. And so what is the um now that you have this report so what's the next
step it goes to who and how long does that take and that >> so next step is um the city council will vote whether they approve the findings. >> Okay. And then um we will submit the final report along with the um letter
stating that city council has approved it to the executive office of housing and livable communities at the state >> and they'll review it and if they have any questions or concerns, they'll come back to us and we can answer them. Um but the ultimate goal is that they will approve this. It'll be valid for 10
years and the city can then use CDBG funds um to make improvements in the areas that were identified. >> And how long might it take before they say yes? >> I am not sure because it's been 10
years. I haven't been through this process myself and it's new administration anyways. So I hope within a month or two. Our current designation doesn't expire until June 30th of 2026. Um, so we started this early to try and
give enough time to get through the process. >> So that the I know the other area well isn't included in the maps right here. So that area will have to be redesated coming soon. Is that what the story is? >> Right now we have a slum and blight area which encompasses roughly the downtown
commercial core. This is our redesation process and we decided when we were redesating to expand the border to go down Deerfield Street and Hope Street. >> I thought that the maps that I've seen I thought that someone bluff went all the way up to Beacon or even up to Silver
Street. That's not the case. >> No. Okay. >> I think there's other designations that have included those areas. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Awesome. Um, pass me my laptop back. I'll talk a little more CG
post. Is there anything else you want me to stick around for? >> No, you are. >> Thank you so much. Thank you for explaining things so clearly. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. Uh folks on Zoom, can you confirm that
you can see my screen please? >> Yes, I can. >> Thank you so much. Um awesome. So the particular funding source that Mariah was talking about that um that acknowledges the Slum and Blight area is the community development block grant.
Um that's also the funding source that allowed us to contract with the Furcog to do the study. Um so this is an annual grant that uh Greenfield receives every year, but we don't finish it every year. So at any given time there's a couple of
grants going. Um we are just about to start up our fiscal year 2025 grant. So I'm going to just give you an overview of what's go the projects are going on in the grants that are live right now. um starting with the new one because uh
we just signed our contract today. Um so this is a grant whose period of performance uh should be about 18 months starting in January. Um we have a housing rehabilitation program which uh which assists low and moderate income
owners with um repairs in in their homes. We have a sidewalk improvement program. Um, we've identified a couple of sidewalks that are going to be included, but the city completed a new sidewalk conditions inventory uh as part
of its um uh ADA transition plan update this summer. So, we're still kind of uh we're still going through that with the DPW to make sure we're prioritizing um the right sidewalks for improvement. And there's CDBG conditions to which
areas of the city you can use these funds for infrastructure improvements. As Mariah said, the Slow and Blake area is one of them. Otherwise, for infrastructure improvements, um you have to show that they're in a low and moderate income neighborhood. And then we have five social services programs
under that grant that will also get started in January. Uh the fiscal year 24 program is still ongoing. All of these projects are kind of right in the middle. Um the housing rehabilitation program that the fiscical
year 25 grant is going to assist with started up uh under the fiscal year 24 grant. Um it is so far assisted three homeowners. Um which is doesn't feel like a lot when you think about the need in the city but given the challenges of
using the funds is is a good start. Um yeah go ahead. Somebody is asking a question. >> Okay. Go ahead. Uh Stephanie. Um, yes, Stephanie Ducl. Um, I wanted to know about uh is there an amount that is left
over from the uh 2223 uh slum and blight designation of the commercial district? I abut the commercial district directly. We're in a poor neighborhood and we share infrastructure with um the Arch Place building and we've had several problems
in this neighborhood. Tai and Bond was in fact out here in our neighborhood uh performing their uh smoke testing and several other tests out here as well as OTO being in catch basin 12. Um, I just had concerns if there's leftovers from a
particular year CBDG grant for infrastructure and that is covered in that district and it it bots and shares the same drainage and same issues in the area if that would fall under that category which you were talking about in the new designation that you're looking
for for Deerfield Street because we have similar water and sewer and environmental issues um which would be evidenced through the reports uh even through Otto's uh catch basin 12 >> um but I think a lot of them have to be
redone there's been sink holes and quite collapses in the main >> low low water um pressure and water main breaks throughout our neighborhood um for for several years. Uh so what I what
I'm concerned with is potentially uh utilizing grants allocated to a certain area in a in another year for another type of project or even including retroactive language um to include other projects that maybe
probably shouldn't been prioritized over fixing the infrastructure of the collapsing pipes and poor neighborhoods. And we just suffer out here. So, um, those are my concerns. Those are my questions, and I' I'd like to know the
actual amount that's left from that 2223 grant. Thanks. >> Um, thank you. I'm I'm working my way backwards chronologically to 2223. So, if there's no questions about the fiscal year 24 uh programs, we can we can hop
to that next. Um I have a full table for 22 23 because this was a huge grant that uh cobbled together two years worth of funding um uh because of timelines that were offset
during the pandemic um uh in fact I hope that this has covered everything. Yes. Um so originally like the other grants we had a small number of projects um and over time those were either completed or ballooned or split into uh some other
projects working um with the state. So uh at the moment everything that we started under this grant is complete including the slum and blate study but the slum and blate study came in uh
$48,000 under budget. Um I think in large part because they were able to bundle it uh with work they were doing for another town at the same time. So it just saved quite a bit I think of labor costs. Um so that's what remains in the grant. The grant is by contract meant to
be spent out by December 31st. So that's obviously not going to happen. So, we've proposed to the state uh one final extension to uh June 30th of 2026 to finish the 2223 grant um and to finish
up that last bucket of funds. So, when we decide what to do to reallocate funds that are left over from a project, there's a couple of considerations. First is how much can you actually accomplish with with that amount of funding? um what is a feasible project
given the timeline and what are the city's priorities um and also a balance in general within a CDBG grant of different uh substantive areas. So with the exception of the slum and blight study itself, the 2223 grant
focused primarily on infrastructure and uh physical improvements. Um the large bulk of uh the project budgets went into sidewalk replacements and um uh sewer and water mains uh design. Um we also
were able to have a large social services budget. I have ongoing listed there, but those projects will be done by the end of this month. So because the leftover funds were in that slum and blight uh area bucket already, um we are proposing a new a
reuse of them um for a facade improvement program within the existing slum and blight area which is main street um uh and the commercial core. Um so what would that look like? Uh I'll get to you in just a sec Stephanie. Um
the facade improvement program is something that the city has done with CDBG funds in the past and basically it allows uh uh storefronts to do improvements to the portion of the building that is visible from the street. Uh therefore it has a a public
interest and uh the cost of those improvements are secured with a lean on the property. um so that if the business closes or is sold or uh changes hands within a period of five years, it has to be paid back into the fund and could be
used for other programs. So, the reason we're proposing facade improvements is that first this is this is a need that we have heard from uh the downtown community quite a bit about. There's been a uh some churn and turnover in
downtown businesses. Um and it is one of the few things that we think is going to be most feasible for us to complete in the remaining grant period which again is is uh just taking us through the summer. Um to head off a question we
often get we are capped by the state in the amount we can give to social services and we have um I think in this case actually more than used uh or just come up against the amount that we're allowed to use. So that's that's the main thing we're not allowed to
reprogram it to. Um so that is both my overview of 2223 and uh the proposed new project. Um so I will take questions and it looks like Stephanie. Go ahead Stephanie.
>> Hi thank you. Um my question actually was about the facades. Do we like when we have these categories that we have set aides and we make allocations for, do we have definitions of what it fall like what the category covers, you know,
very with with specificity? Because my concern is, you know, do we call someone's window a facade or do we call it the painting? you know, is there any specificity in the language of all of these designations that someone could
look to and say, "Yeah, I believe it actually falls underneath because it clearly shows that there's only two people at this public hearing." So, I it's very it's very difficult to understand all of this um kind of in the layman's terms like what who can apply
and what categories um can they apply under? Thank you. >> Yeah, those are those are great questions. um for facade improvements, uh a building owner or a store owner, a business owner could apply. Um when the
city had used this program before, facade included pretty much literally anything on like the physical front of the building. It included windows, it included um masonry, bricks, uh all of this type of thing. A lot of overlap with what you might use a historic
preservation grant for. Um, that is a very complicated process, especially because we do have a bunch of historic buildings downtown. That's not what we're proposing here. This facade improvement program would be limited to um signage, awnings, other uh other
assets of the business itself rather than the property owner. and in the interest of uh of downtown beautifification which is considered to be part of the um the purpose of of improving a slum and blight district. So that's what's meant by facade uh in this
case. Um and I'm sorry Stephanie, I I plowed through the rest of the 22 23. So if I didn't answer your first question, please let me know as well. >> No, you've answered it. Thank you. Okay. So, um that is it for our public hearing
as far as information I'm sharing. I would just love to get um any input on uh the facade improvement program in particular, but then also given that we are looking already at applying for the next round of funding. Um in general comments about uh about any needs that
you think CDBG could address, I'm happy to also hear those at this point. um including infrastructure if folks would like to talk about >> um I'm curious about us and maybe this
is jumping ahead. So are you just looking for an okay that it's okay to use the over facade or do you actually have people who have um given you proposals of you know of what they want? You're just looking for the okay we can
spend it on facades. This is more the um this is the very first step. So the next step after this would be to do if if it's approved by the state to do some uh public outreach >> to find who's interested. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I'm I'm kind of I'm guessing that there
would be enough need to meet this budget because of the need that we've heard from folks. But um and 6 months is is I think adequate amount of time, but it's also not forever. It will go by pretty fast. So, uh, we'll need to do that research to just make sure that
>> there's that interest. >> Oh. Um, I just wanted to specifically ask um on Deerfield Street. Yeah. Um, for the upcoming work aside from >> are there any um plan like recreational
plans for CDBG? There aren't currently, but that's actually a great point and not something we talked about in the Slum and Blake area that um it is easier to use CDBG for parks in a Slow and Blake area than pretty much anywhere else.
We've discovered this a couple years ago because if you try to do it outside of the Slow and BL area, you essentially have to argue to the state that primarily low and moderate income neighbors will use that park. And I think in Greenfield there's definitely neighborhood parks. I go to the park
closer to my home, but it's hard to make the case that they're that deeply segregated. So, one of the potential types of projects we could do on in the Deerfield Street area or the New Slate area would be recreation. All right. Um, and I I can't remember whether this was
uh the Deerfield Street initiative, um, the 2012 like sustainable master plan or like one of the open space plans, but there was a proposal of, um, extending Green River Park uh, to create a boat
launch. Um, and I'm not sure if you're aware of like a partially deprecated Me Street. Um, every spring and summer there's a a massive um invasive Japanese notweed problem that makes that street basically unlockable. Um, that street
leads up to the Museum of Our Industrial Heritage and also it could be a walkable path to the fairgrounds. Um, there's also potential for it to like connect to the bike lane up there and I believe that would be an amazing improvement for our neighborhood. Um, putting that bike
lane there would give people like better and uh improving the invasive condition, >> would provide a better access for fishing. Uh, it could provide like better access for nature watching. We have like beautiful like morbanzers that live in there. We have beavers. Um, but
they're just not visible from that deprecated road with that knotweed. Um, and with the added traffic, like I think it'll give people a lot of the benefit of being able to see the improvements of the proposed 20 uh 29 uh
dam removals >> and just overall better access to the river. >> That's a great that's a great suggestion. I know very little about invasives removal, so I'm not sure if that aspect is something CDBG can
address, but other aspects of of infrastructure, including um street improvements and and bike lanes, is certainly something we could explore. Um, actually I'm delighted that that Kate Brotten is here from the precinct as well because I think once we get this
designation, then there's a lot of of there's a lot more conversations we can have with the neighbors about exactly what types of projects, you know, you guys want to see as well. That's an interesting suggestion. And I'm looking at Nancy when I hear about um invasives as well because I know she knows more
about that than I do. >> Yep. Anything else folks want to share related to CDBG? I guess the last thing I'll say so you have a sense of the upcoming timelines
is that um as Mariah said, we'll be presenting the slum and blight inventory to city council in the new year and the our new fiscal year 25 grant is starting up January 1st. Um and then immediately after that uh in March, we're going to
apply for fiscal year 26. So, I expect to have another public hearing probably in February where we'll talk about the um uh the proposed projects uh under that grant. Um we will also be issuing a request for proposals from social
service agencies also probably in early February. Um it's a competitive process for them to get included in our grant because we can only include a limited a limited number. Okay, thanks everyone for coming. Um, if
you ever have any questions or comments about CDBG, you know where to find us. Um, and have a happy holiday. Thanks folks. Thanks all. >> Thank you. Part: 2
All right. So, calling this uh meeting of the sustainable green field implementation committee um to order on uh December 18th at 403 I think it is and we'll start off with um a um roll
call and introduction of members and I'll go first. My name is George Tulumsus. I'm the uh planning board representative to this committee. I'm the vice chair of this committee and I facilitate the meetings at the behest of the chair. I'll go on to next
>> Nancy Hazard. Um a member at largea we've met before you I don't know how you're going to remember all the millions of people you're going to meet. >> Um Hannah Rexen member at large. >> You want to go around the table and
>> Oh, sure. Amy Kalain um uh community and economic development director and planning board designate >> Marinus member at large >> and uh we'll go to the screen and uh Franis and then Jonah then Sarah
>> Franis hat public member >> Jonah Keane public member >> Sarah Brown city council designate >> very good so we do have coral And uh hello, welcome. Very happy to
have you here. Um and uh didn't know if um you wanted to say anything, Hannah, to start off with Eller any introduction or we wait till we get to that. >> Anyway, wait till we get to that. >> Very good. Uh so there's an opportunity
for public comment. Um, seeing no members of the public, that may help with our getting through our agenda. Um, okay. Uh, Hannah, if members of the public show up, do you want me to go back to that? Offer them an opportunity.
>> Can we do that at the end or is it best practice, do you think, to pause and it's >> up to you. You're >> do it at the end because we don't know if we have much time. >> Yes, I love that. >> Very good. Thank you. >> That's what I was going to say. I felt mean. So you helped the power financing.
>> They're here. >> So our next our next order of business is approval of a couple of uh minutes. The first one is October 23rd. Is there a motion to approve? >> So move. >> Is there a second? Thank you. Discussion. I will offer a couple of things. Um the
the version I got uh Amy at the very top it says meeting agenda rather than meeting minutes to the far right at the very top. >> Oh you are right. >> And there's one other thing I I thought we had gone over this before but um
going on to I it's not pageinated but um uh item number 10 the hope street lot. Ah yes the um yeah I probably talked about this before but um in that discussion brief discussion I suggested something about a statement it's kind of
neutral uh Bram uh mentioned about housing said he support what I said but then um there was feedback essentially coming from the city and I think from you Amy that that we we shouldn't as a committee make any take any stats. We
shouldn't make any comment. Does that >> ring true to people? So, I just want to be because otherwise it seems like everyone agreed. So, but why didn't we make a comment? Um, okay. Those are my two suggested edits. Uh, anybody else
last chance? Seeing none. All in. Uh, we'll have to do a roll call and uh the question is all in favor with those two edits. Call myself. Yes. Nancy, >> yes. Yes. >> Amy, >> yes. >> Yes. >> Same order as before, Franis.
>> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Excellent. Uh, now we have the minutes from November 20th. Um, is there a motion? >> So move. >> Second >> and discussion. >> I looking at the uh attendance. Carol
has got an X and I don't have an X and I remember being here and I don't remember Carol being here. All right. >> Um, >> you were definitely mentioning the >> I think I remember that Paul was here. Of course, Hannah was Was she here >> or did was she not here? Were you here
last last >> November was here? >> Okay. So, >> I don't remember being here. >> I don't either. >> All right. I will make myself a >> No, I'm sorry. Michael was here. No. >> Yes. Michael was here. >> Michael was here. Yeah. Here. >> Michael was here in November,
>> I believe. He's not checked off. you had >> I'm making myself a note to go watch the video again to check them attendance that I have obviously. >> Very good. >> Well, hi Carol. >> Uh uh and you mentioned you had added Bram and he was here and you noted Hannah is
here. Okay. Um the only other thing I had was the version you saw most recently at the very top there was nothing to the right of the logo sustainable green field. Uh where it says meeting minutes and stuff. You know what I'm saying? >> I do fing it now.
>> Okay. >> Just Yeah. Um and um this is the November minutes we're voting on Carol and uh so any other further comment? Oh yes, Sarah. Sorry. >> Um for Nick Perry who was helping with
the Furco Cog Turner Falls bike path. It's his name is spelled N I K. Could also add in the last name for clarity if it helps. >> Where is that? What page? I'm sorry. Let me find the >> item. >> It was
um Turner's Falls Road. >> Yep. Item. >> I don't the Okay. Thank you. Also, thank you Amy for doing the notes. I truly appreciate it. >> Of course. Can you um His name is with a K. N I K or N I C K.
>> N I K. >> N I K. Great. Thank you. Right. Uh if there's no other comments, uh all will again do a roll call. Uh I would say in favor of approving these minutes as amended.
>> Carol abene. >> Yes. Yes. >> Amy. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Yes. Yes. >> Sufficiency. Great. Uh okay. Um so next
is uh new plan director. uh plan department director Ella Wise introduction of new plan department director uh conversation with her and uh regarding the role of sustainable greenfield implementation committee SGIC connection between her role and SGIC
work SGIC has done on the master plan and how SGIC can support her role and partner with her going forward in 10 minutes >> in in 10 minutes. >> You want to start Hannah? >> Yes. and I will be very very fast um mostly because I don't know Law has
already kind of been introduced. So we are very very very excited um to have you on board in Greenfield. Um, I know for many folks on the committee, myself included, having a strong master plan is
wonderful in the work that many of us do with our day jobs and also here on the committee and interfacing with your department, especially in this moment when chapters are being updated. Um, and there's so much, especially for me, economic development work underway and
other work. this is such a guiding um document for us and really contains the voice of the community. Um so we're excited to work with you and bring you in and sort of have the plan as a jumping off point and then be able to
interface with you as you come into the role. And anyone else, please feel free to jump in because I'm certainly not the longest standing member here. Any other comments? Um, >> I'd love to hear from Ella.
>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Oh, am I bringing up I hope that's not the case. I have good Wi-Fi. Let me know if it is and I'll turn off my video. Um, hi everyone. Thank you for the warm welcome. I'm honored to work for Greenfield as well. Um, so maybe a quick uh bio and then I'll
tell you a little bit more about what's going on on my onboarding and then we can talk about the master plan. So, um, my name is Ella. I'm from a small town in the Hudson Valley outside of Kingston. That's where my parents live now. And, um, that's where I was really
inspired to to start a career in planning. Um, I have my master's um in city planning from UC Berkeley and um I've worked in farmland conservation. I've worked in um state policy advocacy.
So out in California, I worked uh to coordinate a statewide coalition of nonprofits spanning environmental equity, housing, multimodal transportation groups um to all come together with a unified voice to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the reliance on cars. Um really enjoyed that work to to bring different stakeholders to the table and and find a common voice. And then I moved back to the east coast
with my husband um and worked for the regional planning agency metropolitan area planning council which is like the fur cog but out for Boston. So helped municipalities write long-term plans and open space plans and economic development plans and was basically like
a public sector consultant. Um then I wanted to work a little bit closer to the ground and not just write plans but implement them which I understand you're interested in as well. Um and had was inspired by Mayor Woo's platform. So
joined the city of Boston to um help her implement her platform for really reforming the Boston Planning and Development Agency, which became the Boston Planning Department um while I was there for a more transparent,
predictable, and therefore equitable um planning and development process. So that brings me to today. Um, for professional reasons, I'm really excited to um, return to a smaller city where
really my heart is and where my interests, my professional interests are. The more I learn about Greenfield, the more um, I love it and I'm sure that will continue. Love takes time. Um, but
just under better understand how special it is. I've heard so much about it. One of my best friends here in Jamaica playing Boston is from Greenfield. Um, but from a like physical environment, there's so much going for it, but also
the community. Um, so I am relo in the process of relocating, which is a lot. I have two kids, one is three and one is one. Um, so we found a house in Northampton and I have to be really
clear I have three months um where remote work has been approved and so we are moving as quickly as possible but we're not in Western Mass yet. So um Eric has been very helpful and generous in in helping my onboarding and
helping during this transition. And then there'll be kind of the holiday period and then I hope to be more in person mid Jan late January basically. Um so that's the current situation. Um so that brings me to the
implementation committee. Um it's such a huge asset the city of Greenfield has this as you all know it's unique. Um, I think it's it's not actually that surprising given how much volunteer
work is performed in Greenfield. I to be quite honest, like based on my experience with City of Boston, that's new to me. the amount of work that's performed by volunteers rather than staff
>> is a huge asset and um prevents or presents you know so many opportunities but it's also something new for me to navigate as staff and so I'm interested in learning from all of you about the culture of that and how that works well
and what um opportunities again there are with so much work performed by volunteers Um I understand that the implementation committee has had the the mission of this committee has kind of evolved over
the years and maybe um to put it more directly there's been some debate about what exactly the mission is. So I look forward to observing and participating and getting a better understanding of that and then um yeah I look forward to participating
as much as I can and um depending on what I see contribute um depending on you know what would be most productive. >> Thank you. It's a great overview of your background current situation Ella
appreciate that. Mhm. >> Um had you in your um previous work I would wonder had working with um master plan specifically been part of that? >> Yes. So at um MAPC I wrote a couple
master plans. >> The city of Boston doesn't actually have a master plan. Um but we have a we had a variety of neighborhood plans that we worked and struggled to implement.
Um uh and my role was was really about how to have planning development. Um so I'm yeah I'm really familiar with master plans within the Massachusetts context and becoming more familiar with green fields and its implementation status.
And um other people have thoughts or questions. Bren um I also help in the the Hudson Valley. I know Stone Ridge well. Lived in Rosenale and Kingston and Claremont and quite a lovely place. I believe there's that little planning firm on the right hand side as you go
north towards Kingston. I wonder if that's the one that you were at. But uh >> I didn't I never worked um at home. That's so funny in Rosenale. Yes. I mean Stone Ridge is really small. It's like 3,000 people just for everyone to get some contact. >> Yeah, it's a beautiful place. But >> beautiful place. Y they don't have a lot
of municipal planners in the Hudson Valley though. The Massachusetts policy context is much stronger I think at the municipal level and for planners and at the regional planning level. They have counties. So there's planners at the county level but not at the regional or really local level as much.
I I was on a a planning group in Claremont, a tiny little place in Columbia County. Okay. >> It was very very small. Um anyway, I really look forward to working with you all. >> Thank you. Likewise. >> I I one don't mean to put you on the
spot, Ella, but um I know that there had been um the issue of your direct participation or representational participation on this committee. You may know some of the history of this from Eric. Eric used to at times sit on this
committee directly. Uh and uh actually during a lot of that Amy attended these meetings as a non member and then about a year was that >> I said that's just how much I like you Troy.
taking it personally, but um so um so about a year plus ago uh Eric had delegated um Amy to be the uh planning department rep. And so I didn't know if that was something that's kind of there's some expectation from you know
city to not have dual uh representation here or something but I wondered in the short run if you were thinking of attending these meetings yourself just to get a feel for things or before you kind of come to a conclusion about how that was going to work. >> I think that was well said. Yeah, I plan
to attend and not make any decisions and then I'll consult with Amy probably and we'll figure out best next steps. >> Thank you. Um, other comments, questions, welcoming statements.
>> Carol, >> I mean, I know we already met and I'm super excited that you're on board, Ella. I'm very much looking forward to working with you and I am really excited about boosting our sustainability efforts with your fabulous background
and uh so I'm just going on the record with that. >> Nice. >> Give me a ring when you're in town. >> Either town because we both now be living in Northampton. Right. >> Yeah. Right. And and I'll just add again, Ella, that
um just hearing your background and your professional uh priorities really resonates and experience really seems to resonate so much with the spirit of this. Again, it's a sustainable master plan, not by accident and uh so uh it
just was very heartened to hear that from from your u accounting of your background and perspectives. >> Great. >> Well, due that. I'm sure everyone will. >> Very good. And I didn't know if you were
planning to sit in on this more this meeting or if you were headed up at >> I do have to leave at 5. It was my understanding that it would be adjourned by 5. But if that's not the case, unfortunately, I will have to bow bow out at that point. But until then, I'm here.
>> We go over an hour and a half, 4 to 5:30. So, thank you for that heads up. Okay. Uh moving on. And before we move on, I just wanted to uh recognize Carol who's joined and you obviously know everybody here and but just for the uh
recording. If you could introduce yourself for to the public. >> So I'm the energy and sustainability director for the city of Greenfield. My name is Carol. >> Thank you. Uh next item on the agenda is
fittingly uh the um uh related to Eric the departing. This is actually his He's now >> done about I think at 5:00 >> he's gone. >> There's the whiskey. >> He was talking about I'll share that. He was talking about during the lunch of
one one thing he was uh he has this rocket he was going to send off at some point and >> a big rocket like >> yeah and I said to him why don't you do that on your last day from the parking lot outside the department but it's too late to >> they're not for public they need to be
>> Yeah. No, I >> distanced. >> Yeah, >> it was a joke. Um, but this is uh the interview report and this is an update from Bram regarding um your uh meeting kind of an exit interview if we call it with uh Eric a couple days ago.
>> Yeah. Um >> then we have five minutes of this just to point out >> I'll be real quick. Yep. >> Yeah. I I learned last meeting that he was retired because I'm new to the committee too. I'm not really hooked into stuff. Um and I immediately called him because um I haven't had a chance since I joined the committee to meet
with him. Um and just wanted to get a sense of what the plan was for him, how it changed over time and uh what he might make of some of the initiatives that I was bringing about working with the database and making the plan more of a an interactive and live document that
perhaps it might be for folks who can't read PDFs and download things. Um Nancy was uh wonderful coming in with me, giving me that sort of >> Thank you for including me. >> Grounding in the history. Um and Eric
was wonderful to talk to. Um she shared so much and uh I we just really connected well and he shared a couple of documents which I've shared through Amy with the committee. Um to me the biggest challenge in trying to imagine how we
might update the plan is that I didn't see any records being kept of what was done and what wasn't done in the plan like a table where you'd say you know done in process not done. And at least in Eric's case he had that he had a lovely sheet keeping track of all those things. Um, and so now we have a model
of what to bring to whoever the directors or leaders are for the other chapters in Greenfield to get to a place where this is um where we know that because just briefly, if you're planning a trip to the shopping uh center, you want to know how much money do you have,
what do you need to buy, where is it located. If you never then go and look at the cart and compare that with the list, it's hard to plan your next shopping trip. So, we really do need to find ways to update things. Um, and uh, yeah, Eric said that the master plan
work was the height of his career here and that there's just so many huge things that happened in Greenfield that would not have happened without the plan. Um, I had them written down on a piece of paper that I didn't bring with me. U, but, uh, it made me feel that
much more grateful to be a part of this committee and to try to further the work in some way. Um, and I saw so much more value for the committee in checking the status of the plan and bringing that initial document to bear on any new work that we might do. He
feels that it's still quite active, still running a lot of the work that we do in the town and not at all 10 years old in time to retire. I I'll add one thing that in his in his
dream world, I guess he would have had the entire U master plant updated at one time as it historically can be done, but it the 10-year thing, it's an un unfunded mandate. So, finding the funds to do that. Uh, so here we are updating
chapter by chapter. So, um, and by the way, I I do have some Excel spreadsheets beyond the land use of the other chapters that have information about whether they were done or not. Not up to
date, but at least more up toate than 19 when they were first created. >> Take whatever you have. >> Well, that's Thank you very much, uh, Bram and and Nancy for, uh, talking with him. It's wonderful. It it's great. It's heartening to hear him talk about that
being a highlight. I know he's spoken very strongly and positively about the master planning process and and about this committee's work, but that's that's fantastic to hear. And to get the um carryover of all this accumulated data
and and work he he had um stored. So that's fantastic. Um and thank you for sharing it with with the committee. any um further comments or questions about that
that meeting or all right um and I did uh I was I was adding up uh all the agenda items planned amount and I think it comes to an hour and 43 minutes so I want to keep us going. The math was over but I've
across you can move >> a lot of things coming in I know. Okay. So the next is master plan updates from the planning board discussion uh from me as the planning board rep um around uh adopting revised chapters of the master plan discussion of how to disseminate
the new chapters to the public and recommendations to the planning board regarding the same. Uh now this is to be followed by um an update from the subcommittee who was working on the event planning. I will just um share
from the um notes I took when the uh planning board was hearing um uh about the uh feedback so far from this uh committee um that they um hadn't it air table was not a familiar concept but
they had no concerns about that and sounded like a um a reasonable thing. Um they did say as far as the public event they would want some planning board members included. Um not surprisingly um as far as the suggestion from this
committee to um sending a memo or email to city staff with a link to online updated chapters. They wanted about that being kind of a recurrent thing not just with the wheel of these new chapters. Um >> can you say that sentence again?
>> Yeah. So, so one of our recommendations was send memo or email to city staff like department heads >> with a link to the online updated chapters and wonder there might be some form of recurrent refreshing connecting with uh department heads um
uh and um as far as as far as the annual report obviously that's this committee's mandate but they um wondered about if that should be shared not just with the mayor as required but with the council city council as just a suggestion and um
they were interested in hearing from us um uh suggestions about doing the presentation to the council um both the new chapters and putting it in the context of the original master plan. So that's the feedback
um between these two committees that I got from the planning board. Any uh comments or questions? I see Jonah and then go >> just just to clarify the representation from the planning board for the public engagement is that you you joined our
that subcommittee is that you or are they interested in having others as well? >> Um probably it it was the members plural. So I think when we have the actual public event I'm talking about having >> you know not maybe the entire planning board but having some planning board
members included there. So, >> it's probably >> doesn't need to be said, but just want to pass it along. >> Carol, >> I guess I can I ask some questions first. This is the two chapters that were updated. Was that last April they were finished
up? >> Well, they they were just fairly recently finished up as far as the the planning board voting on making final edits and voting on >> Okay. Because what I remember from when they were before this committee
that there were uh we went through them as a committee and of course time was brief because the goal was to get them published as soon as possible and here we are quite a bit later. I feel like
there was more opportunity to flesh them out and I just wanted to maybe introduce that now that we have a new planning director with a very deep breath of knowledge and experience
that I since they're not out yet that I would say that it might make sense to pause for a moment and get Ella's input and then do a a outreach campaign. and make sure because one of the things
that that to me is that there the more information we can provide people to help them that's actual um expert information on the chapters the more effective they're going to be is
what I feel and I know that that um again there was a time frame and trying to get these done but since it's been since we're here. I would just like to revisit that. >> I'll call myself to ask a clarifying question. When you say they could have
been fleshed out, are you talking um Carol about pausing and trying to you're talking about the table for the two chapters, the strate goal strategies and implementation actions. Are you talking about now that's been voted on at this point by the planning board to approve it as the two new chapters? Are you
suggesting um adding or adjusting that content and then >> possibly? Okay. That's that's kind of what you're talking about. >> I'm talking about I think that we're very privileged that we have someone new here who brings a a wealth of knowledge
in these topics which was kind of lacking a little bit. I would say I mean we all worked really hard on it but none of us have that background. So I would feel like it would be a you know a great opportunity to just and again I'm not trying to put anything on your
plate. I know your plate's going to be very full, but if I were you and I was coming into a new position, I would really want to have my, you know, I would want to be on board and and at least viewing what uh was about to be put out. And um and again, I do feel
like you your input is is incredibly valuable and that's why we're so happy to have you. So, I'll just I'll just reflect that that would mean a significant change of the process because it would um be uh continued
exploration of the content of those two new chapters, the tables from them, not the narrative I assume. and then um this being recommended those changes being recommended this committee to the planning board and then the planning
board revoting uh well going through those recommendations to decide if the planning board wants to accept them because it's a planning board document officially and so we're talking about a significant change of time frame um what we talking about now I'm just I'm just
you know clarifying this is a discussion we hadn't had. Just just clarifying what the you're proposing. Yes. Go. >> Well, if I'm not I didn't have time to review it and I just don't have time, but I believe that when we all voted on
this like 18 months ago, it was supposed to be published within a few months that it was going to the planning board. It was going to be reviewed there. the I mean it doesn't seem like I know that time has always been the reason that we're we're rushing this through, but
honestly I don't see how it can extend the timeline that much. And again, maybe Ella doesn't you know I'm not trying to >> make sure we're putting out stuff that we can all >> y >> feel is great. >> So Ella, if you wish to comment on that,
you're welcome to. And I wanted to ask other uh committee members to weigh in. Yeah, I appreciate that comment and sentiment, Carol. Um, I guess I have a couple questions. What was the delay? Why was there a delay since April?
>> Um, the I I can't remember all the steps, but I know when it came to the planning board, we had to go through um the um the two chapter, you know, the tables line by line, word by word. and the vast majority I mean it had gone
through you know multiple steps of a subcommittee of this committee this committee going through it um uh but the planning board uh owning it as their document went through and the vast majority of it we accepted as it was
presented but there were substantive and significant changes made there were errors eliminated there were duplications eliminated so it's like any human process there's going to be errors and so we were trying to be the final arbiter. So we we um took some some time
to go through it carefully and uh so that that stretched things out a bit. Um >> um and from the committee's perspective, is there work that would be de what is
the cost of waiting both monetarily but also is there work that would be delayed um that from a potential uh pause in the process? U Bram had to subtly put up his fingers.
Uh and then I'll call on your head. >> Yeah. Um because the uh new chapters have a goals, strategy, action structure like the original plan does, but that they aren't actually indexed to any of the goals or
strategies of the original plan. Um there isn't a way to overtly integrate it into the original plan. could wipe the uh for example land use section and and put these in their place but then
you lose all these stuff that's in the land use section now which Eric said is all quite valid still when the things that aren't taken care of need to be. So what I envision is creating a sort of interface like a clutch you might say of a couple of new spreadsheet
columns or you know database fields that cross reference crosswalk the uh the keys for the new chapter with the keys of the master plan. So that one could then say okay for this particular goal and this
particular strategy here are the things that are coming in from the old plan here are the related ones from the new and be able to sort of integrate that not repeating right so that we have to ask was this thing already in the plan or is this a new thing is this reifying something
that's in the plan that wasn't done um and I think if we if we worked on that we wouldn't have to actually touch any of the work that's in the new chapters now we would just you know doing gamor um commentary on it but making that
commentary in such a way that it integrates with the regular plan and that's stuff that would make sense and have you look at before I get to you Jonah or Hannah and then Jonah are you are you speaking to Carol's point about changing the content
of the two current chapters the planning board has voted on >> um I'm speaking to her point in the sense of there's there's valuable work that the committee and Ella could do that would make the uh the new chapters
more useful um more accessible to those people who care for the old plan um without actually having to touch the content that's already been voted on which isn't exactly what Carol was saying a count a counter or amend amendment proposal
>> Hannah and then Jonah >> um thank you and I I agree with that step. I think it kind of coaleses the two in a way that's very helpful. Um, and I would also just say timelinewise, um, and this might be something you've talked about already with Amy, um, and
or Eric, um, we are hoping to find funding to update the economic development chapter. And so my only concern with sort of flat out revisiting the two new chapters as opposed to moving them forward in some way is that
then if we did find funding to update the economic development chapter, we would be in a sort of split focus whole new chapter process along with a reviewing of two chapters that have already been approved. And so I wonder
if moving forward the way Bram is describing and making sure that that we know how the two new chapters are going to interface with and carry forward with the plan which will inform the process of updating the economic development chapter seems a little more um wheels
spinning in the right direction to me than sort of stepping back and stepping forward. Jonah. >> Uh, yeah. I I think it's kind it's a complicated question. I agree with everybody here with L. Everyone's making good points. Um, just to clarify, I
think at this point it's gone through the full process. So, there was public input. Um, it went through our committee's review and through the planning department's approval. So, it's actually the same. It is officially a part of our master plan. So I think the
main step would be is if we delayed we have this next agenda item is talking about the public engagement around it. I think the main step would be do we want to delay that which could make sense and have Ella review it prior to a bigger push but
>> um and then we could maybe after Ella reviews it we could decide if it makes sense if she thinks there's more work that's needed. But at this point it is the same as the rest of the master plan chapters. It's an approved part of the master plan. So I like we should be working off of that and any while any
time is passing that's the driving force right now is since it's approved it's the approved plan. So I think the questions around how much we engage the public around it before or if other changes are made. >> That's it. Yeah, I'm I was uh the first time I
heard this idea u from Bram of looking at the olden, it surprised me because my understanding was that in doing in writing the update of the let's say land use could be both of them is the goal
was that that that new chapter was replacing the old chapter and that in the process of and if you look at the the the table that um that Mary uh Juan
created, she notes whether this is a new goal or whether it's a goal that was in the past. So I I guess I had made the assumption not not being the person to create the table, but I had I was under the assumption that she had looked at
the old table and that those things that that things were didn't get lost. And I could be wrong about that. I guess that's one thing. The other thing I would say is that we've always said that the master plan is a living document and
so that we things change over time. Uh you know, like all of a sudden we have a new president, things have changed. Um and that will affect things. And so that it's you don't that the master plan is not something that you can't deviate
from or that you can't create some new thing you want to do within that framework. So I'm feeling like you know it has some flexibility. So I don't feel quite so um
you know desirous of of saying oh you can't use you know but I think yeah it it's true that it was a rather it was a rushed project because we had to fit into the time frame of one semester that
the students had. And so, um, in that respect, I'm I wouldn't be surprised if there are some things that, uh, didn't get in there. And I remember myself at the end struggling to get a few things in that I wanted in that hadn't gotten
in. It was hard to get them in. It was I had to ask multiple meetings. So, but then looking at the thing that it's a living document, maybe those things can get added without having to start all over again.
>> I'll call on myself. Um I um from the um Carol's >> it's impossible for me to just clarify because this whole discussion I don't think is really where I was going. >> Okay. >> I thought it might be good to let Ella review
what it is and then so she may be like this is perfect great I'm happy to have this but it there's an opportunity so talking about anything further along it it's not necessarily going to add any time on to the timeline and even if it
does I'm thinking it's going to be a very brief period of time not a we're starting completely over and that's that's all I wanted to just clarify >> thank you um from my perspective to I would think we've gone through this process and and certainly include a lot
of um involvement from Ella's predecessor and um I think you know uh as Nancy is saying there's always it's a living process living document and nothing's written uh in stone but I think we have those uh chapters it can
be it can be revoted by the planning board it's not it's not disseminated yet so it's you know the planning board can say oh we're going to make some changes and revoke Um uh but my recommendation would be to go forward with the the content. It's guaranteed to be imperfect
and incomplete. Um but uh the other issue I want to bring up is is one that um came to the four when I spoke with Bram after the meeting with Eric and uh this is kind of what you were talking about Nancy as well about uh you know uh
thing new things versus things were carried over during the planning board's discussion. At some point I asked the fundamental question, are these new chapters supplanting the previous chapters or are they supplementing and the the decision or the perspective was
it was supplanting. It was taking the place of the other chapters and I thought that's what Eric said as well but I may I may have misremembered that but I thought that was his his point of view. But um you know one it would be I think
important if this committee wants to recommend that the planning board reconsider that >> and and that you know there's benefit to doing this kind of integration process that uh Brown's referencing. I think that would be an important thing that
wouldn't involve changes to the current uh chapters uh but would uh just kind of you know integrate with the existing two chapters complicated as I guess so I'll throw that out there. Yes. >> Um I have a question and I'm trying to
remember who worked directly with the students. I think it was Nancy and Jonah and Mary >> and Eric >> here and Eric. So my question is what the pro I assumed that part of the process of the students work was um
looking at the public input looking at um the existing chapters and writing new chapters that somehow did a little bit of that integration. >> Right? So in that case, the resulting chapters
would have captured the parts of the plan that still felt relevant to the public. >> That was my understanding, >> right? Well, that was my understanding. I don't know. >> Is Jonah, is that your understanding? >> That was my understanding as well. Although to the point that's been
mentioned before, it was a relatively quick process for the students and they were students. students. So, >> so maybe it wasn't done perfectly, but but that was the intent. >> That was the intent. So, so that makes
me feel that to Carol's point, what can be especially helpful at this juncture on on levels is a review of both somewhat with an indexing mind, but also somewhat to see how we went from the
older chapters to the newer chapters. And did we capture everything that the public, this committee, the planning board, and the incoming planning director feel should have remained because that is, I
think, an important review. And I don't know if that necessarily changes the new chapters, but it might just mean that how we use the old and the new is a little bit up for the incoming planning director's discretion, which I
think it would be anyway, >> but maybe I'm wrong. >> So, here's here's just one sort of very concrete thing. The old plan had chapters. The new plan has the same chapters. The old plan had
goals. The new plan does not have the same goals. So, one would have to ask, should the goals be changed? Were the old goals taken taken care of? We don't have them anymore. Um, and when I spoke to Erica two days ago, he said, "No, we we should
do the integration process that I described once we articulated it." I would just be sad if you know the public had agreed on the goals of the old plan and then because of the work of a half of a year of students who to my mind hadn't really seen that integration as
part of their project or had the time to given whatever they had to do that we would lose that um strategy to the goals has strategies like those are still viable strategies Eric still feels that the plan is you know in the main and you know in force uh so what I could see us
doing is if the students have cast something as a goal that to a planner is clearly a strategy, we don't have to change it, but we can feed it into the data representation of the plan as a strategy. This is, you know, they say
it's goal 1.2. Oh, that really looks like strategy 1.3.8. Let's just put that there. That's my thought. Noah >> really appreciate all this and want to loop back to Jonah's original comment
that it's been adopted by the planning board and so what seems to be up for debate is how it's presented. Um, I wonder my understanding from Eric was that the update, which I have reviewed, I haven't reviewed with a fine tooth
comb and like a red marker, but I've reviewed. Um, he summarized that it's basically things were added. Very few things were removed. Um I wonder if the next steps could be I
meet with Bram and anyone else who wants to be included. Um review the I personally but then also with Bram kind of discuss um the master plan update the the two
chapters and come up with recommendations for this committee for integration and how to present to the public. I think that um based on what Eric said that it is really just an addition. It seems like the presentation
to the public can be an opportunity for prioritization which I feel like is most helpful in master plan implementation is not only that it's a catchall but really that it's a work plan which is all about prioritization. So, I feel like we could think creatively about how
do we present this to the public, not just in a one-way communication, but also in a two-way communication so that it helps me as staff and potentially this committee focus on things. Does that sound like appropriate next steps?
>> Any response? Sounds good to me. The only comment I would make as the planning board rep is that obviously the planning board had to this point thought of it as replacing. Uh I think this discussion is helpful in the sense of reconsidering that decision. It wasn't
exactly a vote but it was an understanding and I think that um you know this committee saying hey Eric going out was was uh emphasizing you know not losing what we have from the original chapters. you know, how about integrating these and uh the planning
board because um the first Thursday when we usually meet falls on January 1st, we're not meeting till the 19th. So I could, you know, present this to the planning board as if that is the consensus here amongst the committee that we want to try to not lose the original two chapters and try to somehow
integrate that. If I'm not hearing any objection to that, I could I could um suggest that to the board and so they give that endorsement of that because it's the planning board document. Tiniest little addition, the narratives of the new chapters could replace the
narratives of the old without the implementation tables and actions having to replace the implementation chap table of the old. Does that make sense? >> I I don't know. But but I don't know why you'd get rid of the previous narrative, but but you could >> Well, no, I'm just saying if if you made
that choice, Yeah. you could still preserve >> the checklist going to the store aspect of the plan. >> And just to clarify because the history's been, you know, different perspectives. My understanding was the students first came up with the narrative chapter had not had a table of
actions. Is that correct? Did the students participate in creating that? We asked them to make a table and they didn't have the time to do it. >> Okay. >> And uh Mary took that task on. >> So just want to make clear that was something that came from this committee
>> subcommittee uh of this committee and then this committee itself that that didn't come from the students as it turned out. So I just want people to understand the history of it background. >> Okay. >> So Hannah, yeah, can you wrap up this item for us? >> Yes. I'll wrap up by saying I agree with
Ella. Um and also similarly to the meeting with Eric, um I think it would be great to have someone accompany Bram in meeting with Ella who has a uh knowledge ideally of the student process
and especially of the plan as a whole like Nancy >> like told Jonah. I I I just I want I want to continue to maintain a a sort of check and balance around the just huge
bank of knowledge as we're doing it so that we can make sure we're integrating as efficiently >> and informidly as we can. >> Okay, thank you for wrapping us up. It sounds like that if there's no further comment, we'll move on. We're way past time, but
hey, we're doing good work. Um so the next item is uh the events uh si event planning subcommittee and that's to Jonah. >> Yeah. So uh a group of us met uh to discuss the public engagement around
both these two new chapters as well as what the open space task force is working on. Uh we talked through what the goals were for both SGIC and open space. Um and we had three different goals. The first one actually similar to what Ella just said is to is sharing the
new chapters and also gathering input from the community around prioritization of those new action items. Um so that was the SGIC planning department goal of public engagement and then the uh open space had two different goals. one
around sharing our new conservation priorities map draft. Uh and that's actually to get input on the since that is still a draft to get public engagement and input on the actual document. Um and then also land management input from the community
particularly around Griswald which is having its management plan um redone. That third one we decided was too much to include, but we we thought having a joint public engagement uh session made sense with those first two goals. So the goal being share the
new chapters, engage the public on prioritization and any other input they may have but not on changing them. Uh and then the second being the map, the conservation map sharing uh and getting input on those. That's what we came to
agreement on. We thought March might be a good time for that that we would reconvene in January as a subcommittee to discuss and that we would just share it with SGIC and the Open Space Task Force with our meetings this this month. Um
I don't know George if you want to or Nancy you want to add anything on that or >> there's nothing particularly and um I think you summed it up um accurately and before we move on just a point of information for Ella um the creation of an open space committee uh had been a
recommendation of the master plan several mayors had declined to initiate that so this committee formed a subcommittee uh called the open space task force and it includes me a subgroup of this committee plus some public members. So I just wanted to let you
know um what that was referenced to. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Guess the other thing I would just add is um that we looked at when we were thinking about the two chapters, we realized how
much of the NHC n natural historic cultural thing, how much nature was in that chapter that pertained to the land use. So it seemed like it they could be integrated. there
were a few things that didn't neatly fit into um you know h how you would do it in in one meeting. Um and then I guess the other thing is just we did talk a little bit about possible format
and put a couple of ideas on the table about who would be involved, how it would flow. Did any other uh folks who weren't part of that um have any reaction about the structure of the uh public event or the
timing? Any thoughts? Tacit agreement. Okay, very good. Thank you, Jonah. Uh, I guess we can move on. And our next item is uh, climate leader communities discussion
with councelor Laura Walowski regarding the climate leader communities program, including requirements, benefits, and steps that Greenfield could explore in order to apply for the program. We had 15 minutes slotted for this. We're running late. Uh it's uh I have just
about 5:00 now so maybe we can do it a little quicker but um just wanted to Hey there want to invite you to come up to the pull the chair up so the mic for the public >> sit next to Hannah >> I'll just say a few things of why I
invited uh Lori come um I I sent around a a news article a couple of weeks ago about um uh Ashefield getting over $800,000 to do their PV and and I've always been interested and that that was
enabled through the climate leader uh partnership that we're talking about and and then I discovered that Laura has been working on moving it forward. So we met and so thank you Laura for coming and sharing your thoughts about the whole thing
where we are at this point and what more needs to be done. Absolutely. Thank you all for having me and the opportunity. So, um, Carol's more of an expert than I am, but, uh, so I'm in the city council
for those who don't know that. Um, and climate is something really important to me and near and dear to my heart. Um, so it's been a priority uh, my entire career. Uh, and given that Greenfield
was one of the first green communities, if not the first, I I I've heard Mayor Martin say that we were the first green community. I I don't know if that was actual or the second green. >> We were we were number one. >> Were we? >> We were. In fact, the state put off the
announcement so that we wouldn't be the only one. Ah, >> you remember that? >> I do. The story we were in the first group. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So the um we were an early green community and the
2021 um climate law set up the green the climate leader program to update from green communities which green communities you know we've got like a solar tr compactor. Woohoo. Um so like what's the next level? And
really the next level is looking at greenhouse gas emissions getting to zero by 2050. um and not just focus on the energy picture but also like what are the things that we can do that get us um the
reductions in in carbonization. So, um I met with I I went to a Mass Mun Municipal Association meeting. Um and
after that met with uh folks in East Hampton because East Hampton was an early climate leader adopter. Um the person who was the Carol equivalent um has since left. But we sat down and she went through with me
like what are all the things that we need to do? So, the first thing that East Hampton did was they um they declared a climate emergency. They did a declaration, which we did. Um and the they felt like that gave them a little
juice within the um city hall to say like, "Hey, this is really important." Um and then they they had something to point to. So, every time there was like a little hiccup, it's like we declared a state of emergency, so we've got to act like there's a state of emergency. And
that means doing these things. Um so uh Carol, myself and um John Garrett from the city council met last summer to also talk about climate leader. Um so you know the I got a a little bit of a sense
from Carol like where we are um and where where we where we need to go to make this happen. So um the first thing is you have to be a green community in good standing. So I believe we are. Um the second thing that you need to do is
have a committee. Um and so I Carol and I talked about this. I've talked to Graham about a little bit about it. Bram and and as well as Nancy, like is the SGIC the the perfect committee? That could be the um climate committee and
they've got some requirements, but it all looks like it's that like you're doing the work already. So, why not just have this group be considered the the the group? And I I'll I'll forward this to everybody so you can see what the requirements are.
um we have to make a commitment that that we will be you know uh urban neutral by 2050. I don't know among our various different documents if we've already made that
declaration uh or that uh goal or if it's how to do that. So that's the third thing um we need to have. So that's the municipal decarbonization commitment.
Um you need a decarbonization roadmap. Um you know which Carol and I met and Carol maybe I I don't want to misspe but it felt like the um municipal net zero operations plan probably does does the
job. Um maybe there's a few tweaks that are that are missing in here that that that we need to add to it. Um we need a zero emission first policy. So um that has been already introduced as an ordinance. Um it's just sitting in
our ordinances committee. Um they have been reviewing all of the ordinances in Greenfield this year for updates. So it's there's a little bit of a backlog. Um and the last thing that we have to do is uh implement the uh stretch code. Um so
there's a specialized stretch code that's an update of the um previous stretch code uh designed to ensure new construction that is consistent with 2050 net zero goals primarily through energy efficiency,
reducing heating loads and electrification. Um, I'll say this out loud. I think that's the harder stretch. Um, I know our friends in Deerfield uh got shot down at at town meeting um just about a month or
two ago and I know Emily Gaylord who was one of the people leading that charge. So, I'm going to talk to her to learn from her like what what happened. Um but it's also hard to get that many town members to and they lost only by like two votes I think something like that.
So, if we become a climate leader, um the great things there's $150,000 available for technical assistance. Um and that can help us with some of these pieces um in in so I know that East Hampton used it to put together their
decarbonization roadmap. >> Um and then once we became a climate leader, uh there is up to a million dollars available for project funds. So that's what Nancy was um mentioning with
the $800,000 from Ashefield. So um since we were the first green community uh I'm competitive and when I was like Ashefield did it like come on we can do this. Um so there are members of the many
members of the council who really care about this. Uh so you have people who will help make this happen at least from the uh council level. We know that there should be also some public outreach and
you know and Nancy and I talked a little bit about some of that around the stretch code and just public education. Um because I you know it it would be easy for people to be like, "Oh my gosh, we're never going to be able to build another building in Greenfield and you want housing and now you won't be able
to build any housing." So you know, we have to we have to make sure that people understand what what that entails. Um but we also have a ban in hooking up any new natural gas. So like
electrification is not that hard. So, >> thank you. Is that >> that's everything. I'd love to work with you all to make this happen. >> Thank you for the presentation and the offer to share some of the materials you're saying with us. Is there something you were looking for from this committee or just wanted to get us in
the loop or >> No, Nancy asked me to come and present to you all and let you know what this entails. And I think the step is for you to figure out like does does this committee want to beat the climate
committee or whatever we want to call it. >> Yeah, I think that's the biggest issue when um when the city became a green community. Uh Green and Greenfield played that role because they needed a committee at that time as well. Um but I think this now that this committee has
been formed uh this committee is more appropriate. Um there's more people on the committee that yeah are more directly care. Well that's not true but anyway this is a more official committee. The other ones an NGO serve. So
>> um I think it would be great if this committee took it on. >> Great and this is the stuff you want to disseminate to all of us. So I don't know right. >> Yeah like literally off the state's website. So >> do you have an electronic thing you want
to just send to us? I can send it best to send it to you. >> That would be great. >> Yeah, >> I can download that. So, >> thanks. Any uh comments or questions, members of the committee? >> I presume we'd be taking this up at a
later meeting date. >> I think Jonah had his hand up. >> Yeah. Uh Jonah, >> this sounds sounds amazing. I my I guess my question would be around the expectations of a committee what what exactly their role would be and maybe if
it's if it's substantial uh and since our meetings as we're seeing are already uh full that potentially a task force could be another option that we create as a subcommittee of SGIC could be something else we consider but it would be helpful to learn a little bit more and maybe we could talk to another
community just to have a better understanding of what the expectations are of that group. >> Well, I think that's in these materials that Laura's >> okay >> disseminated to us. So, >> great. >> It may be surprising, but I actually know about this and we have talked about
it here before and I, you know, this may be the path that's being chosen to move forward, but I've already worked very hard on many of these pieces. There's a lot more than a solar compactor and >> I I'm sorry. I didn't I didn't >> No. Well, I'm not even being acknowledged. and I've worked here for
15 years to achieve 30% municipal savings and to not even be acknowledged that I'm sitting at the table and you know I know that Nancy chooses to do her things the way she wants to do them. This is a long process. There's a lot going on. We've discussed it at length.
There also is a fleet replacement policy that needs to be done. I'm on the final steps of that. I've worked very hard on that and I really feel like had I at least been consulted instead of this being put on the agenda I wasn't even made aware and so I
obviously that that you know it's setting a tone and I know I just don't get enough done as a oneperson department who's constantly working on many many things. I apologize if this is the wrong way to go about this, but I really I was
prepared for this, but really not the way that it's going. I mean, the other thing I don't know if Sarah wants to speak to it, but I did speak with and I have spoken with Rachel Roberts, who's one of our building inspectors and is also an architect. Um, I think that I
know some people like to check off boxes and say, "Look what we've done." But it's not effective that way. And I feel like if we're going to do this correctly, which again I would like to just be part of the conversation, I don't know if that's too much to ask,
but I there are I think are better ways to go about it. And even Rachel said exactly what I've been saying. When you just tell people you have to do this now, this is what you have to do. I want to bring people with us. We can adopt all
of this and the building code is going to be the hardest part. And if the building inspectors themselves are not educated about how to do it and the builders are not, then it doesn't matter. You can say, "Woo, look, we have this code that nobody knows how to implement." And that's a systemic
problem that I've been talking with the state about and trying to I've been attending webinars, trying to get trainings. You know, there's a lot of uh steps that go into doing things effectively or we can just check off a box. But there is
an it like I said the the fleet replacement plan is in the that's part of the zero emission vehicle first policy and then the stretch energy code adoption is is a bigger piece. So, so
your your response is speaks to the the value and importance Carol communication and collaboration and uh I don't want us to get too into that now just because we have another meeting coming in here >> in less than about 15 minutes. Um so um appreciate your um uh reaction to this
and um it sounds like we're going to have this on another agenda item so um it'll be um known in advance and prepare for advance. Yes, Nancy. Yeah, I'm I want to say, Carol, I'm thrilled that you're to hear that you're interested in working and moving this forward. I know
that I've talked with you about it in the past, as you say, and uh Laura, you mentioned that you met also with Carol. So, we absolutely I'm thrilled to hear that and love to work with you on any
every possible aspect. Um, and I guess we need to I'd love to collab we'd love to collaborate with you. and see how we can be helpful to Does that sound Laura? I don't want to speak for you, but >> Absolutely. I'm I'm sorry for any hurt
feelings, Carol. Um I I did go to you first and I Well, we talked about it and then anyway, I appreciate it. It just feels very awkward to sit at a table and not be acknowledged for all of the and and I know I'm never do it enough and
that's been a theme and you know I I >> and again >> well I >> we have achieved so many things in green field. >> Well perhaps I've I've heard the wrong things from you but I heard from you. >> I have it in writing and I've told you more than once.
>> I would encourage we not revisit this now. Yep. >> Um, obviously >> the building code is the big issue. That's it. And the training around it that has not changed. >> Obviously, there's some marketers about the situation, how it came up. We all are in alignment about wanting these goals. It's all in in resonance with the
master plan. So, let's just get past this moment and and you know, have it on the agenda again and we'll work together on it. I would suggest um but we do need to move on to more that we can finish. >> Is there CDBG after this? Cuz I think there >> Yes. Yeah.
>> Yeah. >> So, thank you, Laura. Yes. >> We look forward to reading the material. >> Um, you know, >> I mean, >> we're a team on this. I'm doing what I can do from the city council. >> Yeah.
>> Being on the agenda in the future where we can really have an in-depth conversation, but it sounds like there have been meetings that some of us don't know the content of. So potentially at the next meeting maybe you could come again and we could have a more in-depth conversation of what the process really
is, what the committee expectations are. Um >> and we'll have read the materials. >> Yes. >> Be more. >> Yeah. >> Great. >> May I have one final word, please? >> Sure. I expect fully pretty much the energy department has taken the lead on many of
the things that we've brought to the council in the past and the council does need to vote on it but it has been a collaborative process and so that is the way I prefer to work and I we've always had a good relationship or I have with
the council and again this even though I knew it was coming I really didn't expect it to be like this and the fact that I've already completed like five of these six steps and and explained the sixth without being, you know, given the
opportunity to explain. I think we're almost there. And the goal of mine is to get as, you know, get us off fossil fuels while we avoid all the climate change >> catastrophes. Yeah.
>> Speaking of problems, >> thank you. Sorry. >> Yep. >> No, don't. you always we appreciate your work. >> It's good to to talk about all of this and thank you so much for recognize that you're out of department of one which is a lot. >> So we have too many items to get through
in the remainder of time available. I suggest we table some of them. Uh the next item is interactive master plan and this is um Bram regarding proposed updated interactive version. If it's the update, it can't be put up yet. So I wonder if that's something >> it does with the update. It's just a
representation of the original plan. It's what we looked at before. I just want the committee is okay to bring it to John. >> And this is all nothing to do with the two new chapters. >> Nothing to do. >> Eric liked it a lot, by the way, when I
showed it to him. >> So, this is this is the the original master plan in this format. This is it. The air table. >> Wait, Amy. Yeah, it's just it's the original master plan cut out into small 12 pieces of the PDFs and then on the
right hand side the the versions. >> Okay. I don't know if we need a vote. Uh do we want a vote or just no objection or >> what are we voting this to John? >> John, you talking about John? Say you're talking about the communications director.
>> Jonathan. >> Oh, Jonathan has it. >> It's like Jonathan. >> Okay. So, is there any objection? Is this We're rushed. So, do we need to can we make a rush decision or >> what do we John John >> to put on the website? He's the one.
>> Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. >> Great. >> Does anybody on the committee need more time to consider this before accepting it or making a decision? >> It's the same last time more complete. Hey, >> I think this is a great idea and we
should send it to Jonathan. >> Okay. Second. >> No object. >> Sorry. >> No, no. If >> you want to make a motion, let's make it. If not, we can. >> I don't think we need a motion. I think we can just say thumbs up. It's a good idea. >> Very good. The next is citizens. I need to see the people on you guys. No
objection up on the screen. Very good. Thank you. Um, citizen academy possible possible SGIC participation in March Citizens Academy meeting. uh specifically a three-minute presentation of SGIC during the March Citizens Academy class. We have to decide that
today or is this >> um I don't know who brought this >> who put this? >> Um Sarah and I were talking about it and just I'm happy to go for three minutes and talk about the SGIC so that people in that class, you know, see us as a viable way for public to connect with
the town's up, city's up to. Sarah, right? >> Yep. I'm I'm taking the class. I think this could be tabled to next meeting to get into it a little. >> I have no idea personally what the March Citizens Academy is, so that would be helpful. >> Great. >> Thanks. Uh or the Citizen Academy. Thank
you. Uh annual report. Uh should we table this as well? >> Yeah. >> Any objections for that? Um >> a reminder that we're on a fiscal year, so the annual report doesn't become a thing until June. >> Oh, that's right. >> Nice. >> Thank you. >> Uh economic development plan chapter
update. You have two minutes, Amy. >> Oh, I can do it in 30 seconds. There is no update. I still have not yet found funding. Um, the pot of funds at Furcog is not appropriate for this work, but I do have the cheaper option, so stay tuned. Thank you, Amy.
>> Yes. Uh, and then this next one, uh, item 15 kind of we already had. >> Yes, we have. >> So, I'm glad we had it on the agenda. This is the chapter update starter discussion um about the chapter update goals whether including whether and how
the new master plan chapter update should reference and extend the original master plan. So we've already actually had it. So I'm glad this was on the agenda. I forgot that was on there. >> Yeah. >> Down below. >> Uh next is noise ordinance discussion of proposed noise ordinance being initiated
by precinct 7 residents. I don't know who Oh, go ahead please. So, I'm on precinct 7 and I spoke with uh Kate um Brotten um who, you know, brought this up to
whichever committee they went to and and she was surprised that she wasn't invited to talk about it. So, if if we're going to postpone it, could we invite her or or Mary um to to to come and talk about what they proposed?
>> Did you say or Mary? Who Who's Mary? >> Yeah, Mary. Uh, can't think of her last name, but it was it was Kate and Mary who did the who went to that meeting. >> So, postpone this till next month. >> We did.
>> There you go. And are we in inviting her? >> I was going to say, could we be clear on who's inviting? Because I think we did say last month we would invite, but I don't think anybody was tasked with making the invitation. >> Understood. I'm happy to invite. >> Yeah. Either way. No, no. I was just
going to say she and I are trying to meet with my GBA hat on and I'm happy to invite her uh to this or please feel free if you're in more frequent touch. She and I are trying to set up a time to meet still. >> Okay. >> So,
>> okay. Um and um we have eight minutes left. Um, since we only had five minutes, >> I'm going to squeeze them. >> I was going to say since we only had 5 minutes allotted for the citizens
academy, can we knock that one off? >> Who was presenting that? >> Um, >> was that you and Sarah? >> Me and Sarah. Yeah. >> Can you say what it is? >> This is Bram's idea. Sorry, I'm not I'm in the class, but I Yeah. So the idea is
that uh so Sarah can you describe the people who are in the class now and maybe your sense of who that class was t was designed for so we know who might be in a future citizens academy aside from the current cohort. Um I think it's maybe
10:15 12:15 folks attending and there's four counselors attending. Um and just every week we learn from different departments. We heard from community economic development and we went to the wastewater treatment plant and just fun
things around town. Um, and we also learned from Eric Torug um, last week and he talked a little about the sustainable master plan but not in depth. So I think it would be great to revisit.
>> Yeah. So in my understanding of this um, it's for new people, people who are kind of like new to city government and um, >> since our job for anyone Bram, it's for citizens >> for anybody. Yeah. >> Okay. but that our job as a committee is to keep the rest of the people in city
government apprised to the master plan and integrating it. So it just seems like a really easy way uh for us to do our outreach work. Um and uh Sarah had asked Erin who's organizing all this what could happen and she suggested this marriage meeting. So
>> and this is this is offered by this city. >> I I hadn't been clear on that. >> It's brand new. They just started it. The mayor's office is running it. This is the first time around and the meeting in March is specifically targeted at municipal committee committees and
boards. >> Okay. >> Did you go yet again? >> And is the um Oh, sorry. >> Is the uh 3minut presentation where did the three minute come from? Is that from the academy? Is it where >> from Aaron? That's the amount of time they're trying to pack a lot into a
small window. >> I'd be supportive. I would I would like to see Hannah delegated to to do that. that you're sellable. >> Absolutely. >> Any other uh feedback? >> Is there a date by any chance? There is a
>> I can pull that up while we're here. >> Great. I'll hold it. >> Is there any objection to that? And people okay with Hannah representing committee? >> All right. when you did knock that off. Um,
>> so reach out to Erin, I assume, and then that's what logistics work. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Because she's handling the >> everything >> agenda and stuff. Okay. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> And I wanted to um Okay. So, I think that's it for 10. Next one is
announcements and updates. There were no topics reasonably anticipated. I don't know if there's any last minute things that people didn't know about 48 hours ago, >> which I don't think it would be an open meeting law violation, but um next meeting as far as uh uh agenda items, I
wanted to bring up that in looking at the October minutes, we had talked about we had tabled about student participation and it didn't come back in in November. We had talked about student participation in this committee. >> Yep. I think Mike Budro was going to
reach out either Mike or um >> the Snow and Suns person was going to reach out to members of their committee and then we didn't get any names back. >> So, just wanted to suggest we consider that as a possible agenda item depending on Mike's readiness, >> okay, >> to present it. And I want to suggest too
that um because I know that people are understandably emailing Amy about agenda items but and it goes to everybody I think but I think um and may I don't know if it has to come to the whole committee cuz it's basically you Hannah as chair right >> figure out and and working in
collaboration with Amy. I would suggest suggestions about uh items, agenda items go to you and Amy. Sure. >> And then you can make executive decision about what can because we don't want to have an over full >> uh agenda where we can't, you know, effectively work on an item. So
prioritizing so that's that's my >> I'm happy to do that. Yeah. And >> yeah, we got a little >> Oh, there you go. Uh Sarah put up >> Thank you. Oh, >> nice. Um, and the uh next meeting is
January Thursday, January 22nd, 4 p.m. >> Hybrid 5:30 >> in this location, this room and Zoom. >> Uh, >> one little thing I'd love to say celebratory thing. >> What? >> Celebratory thing. You know me, I'm always
>> celebrating things. The And Mike's not here today. So, uh, the, um, composting in the high school has started >> as of the 8th of whatever. Yeah. >> Very nice. >> That's great. >> Very exciting. Long time coming.
>> Are we ready to uh, >> I move that we adjourn? >> Second. >> Uh, we have to roll call. I >> I >> I >> I >> I >> I >> I >> Thank you everybody.
>> Thank you all. >> Take care. You do. Thank you.