DALTON, Mass. — Now that the town has selected Blue Strike Environmental as the consultant for its climate action plan, development and community engagement have commenced. 

 

Consultants for Blue Strike attended the recent Green Committee meeting to get the members' opinions on important information about the town, such as potential opportunities or barriers they may face during development. 

 

The committee wants to develop a climate action plan to achieve net-zero by 2050 by seeking strategies to decrease the town's dependence on fossil fuels for homes, businesses, municipal facilities, and vehicles. 

 

The plan should be detailed enough that the town knows what it needs to do and when to complete each subproject on time. 

 

There will be a kickoff event at which the start of the project will be announced that will include a presentation from Blue Strike that provides an overview of its process and approach to developing the plan. 

 

Blue Strike will walk through the major steps and timeline of the project, collect initial feedback from attendees on climate priorities, opportunities, and concerns, and invite community members to become involved. 

 

It will organize into two teams: the Steering Committee and the Project Team. 

 

The Steering Committee is usually made up of 10 to 15 community members and meets with Blue Strike throughout the project at key points, Blue Strike project assistant Andrea Green said.

 

Who is on the committee varies based on the town but they are often the stakeholders and leaders within the community, she said. "It really depends on who the project team sees as being most valuable in receiving their feedback, but also keeping them informed throughout the duration of the project." 

 

The individuals on the Steering Committee are going to be the salespeople and community influencers who will act as the spokespeople for the rest of the community, Green Committee member Thomas Irwin said. 

 

The Project Team is about the size of the Green Committee and will meets twice a month to help develop the plan. 

 

The committee provided the consultants with details about Dalton, including the types of businesses, people, and needs, and referred them to the proposal, which has a thorough list of all businesses in the community. 

 

Chair David Wasielewski pointed out that a majority of businesses in Dalton are small, such as restaurants and bakeries. 

 

He also highlighted the "one large business" Crane Currency, formerly Crane & Co., which manufactures U.S. currency paper. 

  

Committee member Antonio Pagliarulo said Dalton is a small community with a declining population. 

 

According to the 2020 Census data, the town has about 6,330 residents.

 

"[Dalton is] very much, I term a small pond. People take pride in our community. We'd like to keep it small, but we're progressive, I think too. We focus on education. Sports is a big part," Pagliarulo said. 

 

"We don't have a lot of dollars. We have a large economic justice community within our central area, and taxes are always a concern." 

 

Every committee member highlighted the need for funding to help support climate action initiatives. 

 

Blue Strike technical lead Daianne Starr reassured the committee members that they are not alone in their concerns on how to make climate action strategies affordable and said they can be funded through grants and other mechanisms. 

 

The work they do during the climate action plan is not one-and-done, she said. Blue Strike works to ensure the towns have the tools they need to meet their climate goals and expand on them, even when Blue Strike is no longer involved.

 

"We're going to help you together. In the end of the day, a climate action plan is not good if it cannot be implemented. So, we want to support you through the journey," Starr said.

 

"We're going to make sure that you have a sense of ownership of the process. So once we finish our work, you have the tools and resources to continue this work in the upcoming years."

 

Although the town does not have many residents who deny climate change, getting some on board will be a hurdle due to the costs associated with sustainability initiatives, Wasielewski said 

 

"The bottom line matters to these people in a big way, and if we're not sensitive to that, they're not going to be adopted," Irwin said in agreement. 

 

Committee member Todd Logan added that there is frustration within the community toward some of the state's arbitrary regulations that were set in an effort to reduce fossil fuel that does not take into consideration the reality of the area. 

 

For example, mandating electrifying and getting rid of oil furnaces or natural gas is not practical when the temperatures drop routinely into the teens during the winter, he said. 

 

"There aren't people who deny climate change, but there is a frustration that there is not a recognition of the on-the-ground reality here in the Berkshires … so that's something to be sensitive to," Logan said. 

 

Change is not always welcomed, especially when there are high costs associated with it, Wasielewski said. The town is not a rich community, and there are a lot of older buildings, with old gas and oil furnaces.

 

"We're also an aging population here, and incomes are not on the upswing in terms of having the means or whatever to sustain a green initiative,"

 

"Thus the notion of 'can we bring in dollars' so the community will see the benefits in the long term. Dollars and cents are going to be a major consideration," Pagliarulo said. 

 

The committee also informed Blue Strike that it attempted to reach climate leader status but paused its efforts due to the high cost and minimal financial incentives.

 

"That said, we will revisit this, and that was our resolution is the Green Committee. Once [the state] starts sharing what the real benefits are and how they're structured, which they still haven't done. I think they said they would do it by July. So, we're close, but we may revisit that," Logan said.

 

Wasielewski added that the climate action plan should attempt to closely align with these state requirements to position the town well so it can reach climate leader status in the future. 

 

"We want something that's practical, and that can work for us. And if it coincides with the state, so much the better, but if not, we need to survive. What the state does or not doesn't matter to us," Irwin said. 

 

The bar seems very high from the government perspective, but Blue Strike can also help navigate the town through this, Starr said.

 

"We are working with other communities in Massachusetts who are also facing similar issues. So, there is definitely some leverage we can do in terms of understanding and reaching out to people and making sure that we can make things happen the best way we can," she said.

 

"And there are a lot of best practices that can be put in place to make sure that you have a good start and at least qualify for funding that perhaps is very important to move you to the level where you want to be."

 

Ignorance is another barrier that Blue Strike may face when helping to develop a climate action plan, Irwin said. 

 

The Green Committee has been working to develop education strategies for residents and build more interest in green initiatives, he said. 

 

The committee has to present the information to the residents in a way that brings their understanding forward to be successful, which they have been able to do in the past with a few green projects, Irwin said.