Energy Committee Minutes, 05.25.2023

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Energy Committee Meeting Notes
6:00 pm Thursday, May 25th, 2023

Call to order: 6:05

Energy Committee Members Present: Nancy, Chris, Gary, Jen (absent: Anne)

Recognition of Public:  none

Old Business:

  • E-Bikes– Chris has ordered all accessory safety equipment and it should be in hand by June 5th.  A bit of a process getting the Selectboard payment, but in this case they will be approving the expenditure and then paying Burrows Specialized Sports directly.

    Dave Cohen is aware of our June 10th rollout event. He’s fine with coming later in the summer to do a hands on demonstration with a Q&A.

    On June 10th, 2 p.m. the rollout will be introduced by Chris and will include a general introduction to E-bikes and the protocal for the bike lending program.

    The following is a summary of the day:
    • Introduction – 5 mins, Chris
    • Safety – 5 mins, Jen
    • Try ebikes – all; participants need to sign waiver; short loop down to Playscapes and back
    • Snacks/Drinks – Nancy
    • Outreach – Front Porch Forum / Word of Mouth

The E-Bike budget is riding strong with a modest cushion for any small incidental costs.

Jen suggested the following changes to Chris’ summary E-Bike protocol sheet:

  • Include PSI pressure required to bring bikes’ tires to proper pressure
  • Chris made a great comment on mileage, terrain, etc., but could there be a bit more tweaking of that guidance to fine tune it to how the duration of the charge is dependent on terrain, weight of user, etc.?
  • Also, we while we will have a lock for the bikes. Give extra specific guidance on the importance of locking the bikes properly (e.g., lock frame with wheels onto permanent ground fixture).

Window Dressers and  MERP: 

Need to determine ways of marketing these two events. Jen met with Howard Printing  to discuss developing a mailer postcard notifying the public of all Energy Committee summer activities. Once post card can be used for all (4) four events. 

New Business:

  • Summer Education– Two presentations are scheduled for July: EVT will provide an overview of all their relevant programs and incentives on July 14th at 6 p.m. (tentative). VEEP will provide a second presentation with a focus on modern wood heat and weatherization on July 25th, tentative start at 6:00 p.m. for food (pizza), 6:20/6:30 presentation. Part of this presentation will include tying in the Window Dressers’ program to the subject matter of home weatherization. There will also be a presentation by a solar industry representative describing solar programs, opportunities and mechanics. Finally, sometime in August, Dave Cohen will provide a hand-on demonstration of E-Bikes to include a Q&A.

Schedule Next Meeting: Thursday June 22nd, 2023, 6:00 – 7:00, in person, location TBD

Close of Meeting: Meeting adjourned at 6:43