The Select Board last night voted to keep the town’s application in the queue to reinstate municipal aggregation in Burlington. Municipal aggregation is the practice of having a municipality purchase electricity at a reduced rate for all residents, with the opportunity for residents to opt out if they prefer to go with a different provider. Burlington was a part of this program previously, and an application was submitted to the state several years ago, but it has been caught up in the queue, along with those of 30 or so other cities and towns.
The Select Board’s vote last night was simply to allow the application to continue in the process, and the town’s consultants advised the Board last night that by summer the town would be able to begin taking advantage of this program by summer. Municipal aggregation allows for more competition and, according to the consultant who spoke last night, averages an 8% savings to consumers. As mentioned, residents are allowed to opt out of the program.
About 2/3 of eligible communities are already participating in this program. Until there is community aggregation in Burlington, residents can search for a new electricity provider on Energy Switch MA marketplace.
Also at Select Board:
- The Board was reorganized following Saturday’s election: Joe Morandi is now Chair, and Mike Espejo is Vice Chair.
- Cote Kilbride was appointed to the Fire Department as a Firefighter/Paramedic.
- Anthony DeSimone was appointed to the position of Operations Manager at the Department of Public Works.
- There will be some overnight work (date TBD) on a water main at Prouty Road; there are two different gates that need to be repaired, and the work will be done overnight to avoid extensive disruption to the commercial plaza that will be affected. This will likely take 8 hours per night overnight for a week, and residents and businesses will be notified 48 hours in advance.
- Assistant Conservation Administrator, Eileen Coleman, was appointed to the North Shore Water Resiliency Task Force.
- The Board voted to submit the Statement of Interest for state reimbursement for a new or renovated high school to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). This will be the 13th annual submission to the MSBA and, according to Director of Operations, Bob Cunha, the application wording has been adjusted to highlight the value MSBA funding would bring to the eventual high school rebuild/renovation.
- Burlington will provide funding for Lexington to manage a project to repave the area of Lowell Street that was dug up to bring the MWRA water connection through Lexington to Burlington.
- Economic Director Melisa Tintocalis gave a refresher on the work of the Economic Development Office. More to come on this!
