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A local nonprofit has stepped in to resolve a municipal financial violation regarding the promotion of three solar canopy articles on the warrant for tonight’s Annual Town Meeting.
Sustainable Sudbury announced it has fully reimbursed the town for the recent purchase of 50 lawn signs supporting Articles 33, 34, and 35. The reimbursement comes after the Sudbury Energy & Sustainability Committee was cited recently for improperly voting to use $450 from the municipal Solar Revolving Fund to buy the advocacy materials using a Town purchasing card.
Town Manager Andy Sheehan characterized the committee’s purchase as an unintentional misunderstanding of the state’s Conflict of Interest Law, which prohibits the use of public funds for political advocacy. Upon discovering the violation, the Town required the immediate removal of the signs from residential lawns and that the committee reimburse the cost using non-public funds.
In a statement released to Sudbury Weekly, Sustainable Sudbury confirmed they covered the bill to support the local push to achieve Sudbury’s long-term climate goals:
Sustainable Sudbury has fully reimbursed the town for the cost associated with the recent procurement of yard signs supporting solar articles 33, 34 & 35 at the upcoming Town Meeting. Sustainable Sudbury sees these solar canopies as an important step toward moving forward on Sudbury’s long-term climate goals while also offering locked-in cost savings to the town on its electricity bill. Voting to approve these articles at the May Town Meeting is the ONLY way Sudbury will be eligible for a 30% federal tax credit before it disappears.
The articles in question—Articles 33, 34, and 35—would authorize the Town to enter into long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with Solect Energy to build solar canopies over parking lots at Curtis Middle School, the Haskell Field parking lot, and the Police Station.
Sustainable Sudbury has taken a prominent role advocating for the articles heading into the first night of Town Meeting, including releasing a one-pager supporting the three solar articles. The articles have the support of the Select Board and Finance Committee, but the Park and Recreation Commission did not support the Haskell Field project.
Town Meeting starts tonight, May 4, at 7:00 p.m. in the Lincoln-Sudbury High School Auditorium. The solar articles will require a two-thirds vote to pass, but it remains unclear if Town Meeting will get this far in the warrant on the first night.
The one-pager being circulated by Sustainable Sudbury is available below.