City Council in brief: State program will fund energy-efficient building retrofits

Window improvements at City Hall, building weatherization and pipe insulation are all on the table as the city decides how to use $173,714 in state funding for energy-related municipal building projects.

The money comes from a Green Communities grant the Finance Committee voted to accept at its Sept. 21 meeting.

Waltham participates in the state’s Green Communities Program, administered by the Department of Energy Resources. The program provides funding to municipalities for projects aimed at reducing energy use and costs and improving energy efficiency in municipal buildings. 

Planning Director Robert Waters told committee members his department has not finalized which projects the grant will fund. According to grant documents, Waltham will focus on energy-efficiency improvements at City Hall, the Valor School and the 21-25 Lexington St. municipal services building, which includes office space for the IT, Planning, Housing, Retirement and Assessor’s departments. 

Additionally, the City Council:

• Received a report on how city employees use AI from IT Director Donald Aucoin. (Committee of the Whole).
• Heard a proposal to create a low-income veterans housing and services complex at the Fernald property. (Committee of the Whole).
• Accepted a donation of fitness equipment from Core Development & Management and Planet Fitness for the Fire Department. (Finance Committee).
• Preliminarily approved a secondhand dealer’s license for sports equipment and bike repair shop Pedals & Power on River Street, as well as a used vehicle sales license for New England Transit Sales, Inc. on Lexington Street. (Licenses and Franchises).
• Preliminarily voted to name the former Waltham High School at 617 Lexington St. after former Superintendent of Schools John “Jack” Daddona. Because the building does not currently have an official name, a public hearing is unnecessary. (Licenses and Franchises).
• Requested the Law Department study legal options for how the city could regulate temporary secondhand goods “buying events” run by organizations without property in Waltham. (Licenses and Franchises).
• Requested the Law Department review a special permit modification to allow the current Crescent Suites Hotel to pivot toward long-term stays, a request for a drive-thru ATM at a new Service Credit Union location at 995 Main St., and new edits on a special permit application for a Cava franchisee at the Market Basket plaza. (Ordinances and Rules).
• Requested that the Law Department suggest changes to bring the city’s MBTA Communities Act zoning in line with recently amended housing affordability legislation. (Ordinances and Rules).