Arlington Energy Committee
Regular Meeting
November 5, 2025
Members Present: Mardi Crane-Godreau, Mary Anne Holmes, Joan Nash, Bill Laberge (via Zoom), and chair Stephanie Moffett-Hynds
Members Absent: Alexandra Ernst and alternates
Also Present: Karen Lee
The meeting was called to order at 6: 30PM, by Stephanie.
Additions to or Deletions from the Agenda: None
Minutes of the previous meeting of October 1, 2025: Mary Anne H. made a motion approve the minutes. Joan seconded. Motion carried.
Old Business:
- AEC service terms and appointments: Every member was reappointed and the new terms are staggered accordingly (note new lengths of terms). For 2-year terms: Stephanie Moffett-Hynds, Mary Anne Holmes, and Bill Laberge (new appointment), with Garret Siegel as alternate. For 1-year terms: Joan Nash, Alexandra Ernst, Mardi Crane-Godreau and Jenny Murtaugh, with Mary Ann Carlson as alternate.
The committee members felt that both meetings with the SB were very constructive, with good discussion on how best to work together going forward. The SB would like a quarterly executive summary of the AEC’s work. SB member Karen Krulikowski has offered to update the AEC website page. SB member Matt Bykowski is working on the Town Report, so the AEC will submit their report and something about the carbon tracking tool to him.
- Electric Buses Debut at AMHS: Update on Scheduling an AEC tour with Jamie Paustian: Bill Laberge reported that it would be November 18 or 19.
- Red Mountain Parcel Update – Alex sent an email reflecting correspondence with Peter Hildick-Smith that they are hopeful they’ll be able to reach an agreement with some landowners for an access point and to have this in hand shortly. Peter has also reached out to Joan to look at land deed descriptions. Meanwhile, time is getting pretty slim for getting this on the SB’s agenda in time to meet the deadline. Mary Anne wondered if Peter was talking with the Land Conservation Land Trust regarding a possible extension.
- MERP Funds report from the Interim Town Administrator: Cynthia shared with Steph and again at the SB meeting (11/3) that another assessment has been done of the Town Hall and Town Garage and that she will be giving the report to the SB to look over before then sharing it with the AEC.
Discussion ensued. Thinking back to the report the AEC got from Weatherization Works in 2020, Karen hoped the new report would underscore the importance of weatherizing the Town Hall first, before heat pumps are then installed. Without a properly sealed envelope (insulating the ceiling, attic floor, and along the top plate of the walls), heat pumps would have to be running far more often (as heaters in winter and air conditioners in summer) which would be terribly expensive. Proper insulation first will mean running the heat pumps far more efficiently. The low-hanging fruit must be done first. Other AEC members expressed concern about Town Garage. Since the doors go all the way up and down, heat pumps would not be a wise option and would waste a lot of money.
The committee would like Steph to send an email to Cynthia and the SB asking to see the report as soon as possible and to be included in the conversation about the use of MERP funds to weatherize the town hall and town garages, as this is our role per Town governance. We will request that they use us in this process, so that we can provide guidance regarding energy efficiency in service to the town. We would like to be involved in the conversation right from the start, not afterwards. We have so much history on this. We don’t want to be included in retrospect. Mardi made a motion that Steph contact the SB with our request and to send them the 2020 weatherization recommendations again; Mary Anne seconded. Motion carried.
New Business:
- The Importance of Heat Pump Cleaning: Jenny made a proposal that the AEC host a presentation for the public on the importance of annual deep cleaning of mini splits. She knows a local couple (Split and Shine LLC; Darren & Morgan O’Neil) who would like to educate everyone about the importance, not just of cleaning the filters on the units, but a deep clean that will remove the mold that builds up inside the lines every year, usually unseen by homeowners. Stephanie said we ought to invite other local installers as well. The committee discussed doing this in January and inviting other energy committees to join us. To explore this idea, the following subcommittee was formed: Jenny, Mary Anne, and Bill.
- Carbon Tracking Tool: Joan has added pivot charts to help illustrate the data in the spreadsheet. Steph reported that at last weekend’s VECAN conference, she was on a panel during which she talked about the tool. As a result, several towns want to see it. Joan’s work to improve the excel sheets and charts was supported in part by a grant from the VCRD; Laura Cavin Bailey indicated at the time that the VCRD would like to help us share a template of the tool with energy committees across the state. (One potential route for dissemination is through VCRD and/or VECAN.) Steph made a motion that she email Cynthia for approval to share a template with other towns; Mardi seconded. Motion carried.
- Annual Town Report: The committee decided to table this item until our next meeting regarding including a special section on the Tracking Tool.
- AEC Orientation Packet: Mary Anne has prepared a draft. AEC members are encouraged to review it and send any edits, additions, deletions ASAP. Steph will send Mary Anne her revisions to the Power Point Mary Anne made for on the history of the AEC.*
- Mapping out AEC future projects: Tabled again until next meeting
- Report on Presentation to students in Planning and climate resilience course at George Wash University: *Mary Anne presented information to Masters candidates in PSUS 6220, “Planning Resilient and Low-Carbon Cities” (in the ‘Sustainable Urban Planning’ Program), on the AEC — how it came to be, what activities it engages in, and particularly the development and use of the Carbon Tracking Tool. The ~10 students were highly engaged, asking several interesting questions, such as how to disseminate the tool, how to actually achieve Net 0, etc.
- VECAN conference reports: Steph and Mary Anne had wanted to share their observations, but time ran out for this meeting. They found the panels very interesting and the day inspiring. Steph will send Sunderland Energy Committee Chair Jeff Dexter’s take-aways in a BCC email.
Next meeting: December 3, 2025
Mardi made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Bill seconded. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 8:07PM.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Stephanie Moffett-Hynds and Mary Anne Holmes