##VIDEO ID:aplO7ybE1Lk## E IS GABRIELA NICOLETTA ZAPATA,  DISTRICT ONE COUNCILOR AND I'M THE CHAIR ON THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, RESILIENCY AND PARKS. TODAY'S AUGUST 20TH, 2024 THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED IT IS ALSO BEING LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON DARK OF FORWARD SLASH CITY DASH COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 FILES CHANNEL 964 WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C DOT EP AT BOSTON DOT GOV AND WILL BE MADE A PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS PUBLIC WILL BE TAKING AT THE END OF THIS HEARING INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON MICHELLE GOLDBERG AT I S.H.I.E.L.D. DOT A DOT GOLDBERG GOAL D B E RG BOSTON DUCO FOR THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET 0682 MESSAGE IN ORDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF BOSTON TO ACCEPT AND EXPAND A GRANT FROM EVERSOURCE VALUED IN THE AMOUNT OF EXCUSE ME VALUED IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $10 MILLION GRANT INCLUDES THE VALUE OF REBATES AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND ENERGY SAVINGS TO VARIOUS PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. WE LOVE THAT THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE APRIL 10TH, 2024. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNSELOR AT ERIN MURPHY AT LARGE AND COUNCILOR ED FLYNN REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO. WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO OPENING REMARKS BUT I DO HAVE TWO LETTERS OF ABSENCE FROM MY COLLEAGUES. THE FIRST ONE IS FROM COUNCILOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT C LOUIJEUNE AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS FROM COUNCILOR TANYA FERNANDEZ ANDERSON OKAY. WE'LL PASS IT OVER TO THE ADMINISTRATION. I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TODAY'S PANELIST ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION MR CARLTON JONES.  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PUBLIC FACILITIES DEPARTMENT.  PLEASE GO AHEAD. OH WELL THANK YOU, CHAIR ZAPATA AND COUNCILORS MURPHY AND FLYNN . I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY. YOU KNOW IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT THING WHEN THE CITY OF BOSTON RECEIVES A GRANT ESPECIALLY A GRANT OF THIS SIZE $2 MILLION CAN GO A LONG WAYS INTO HELPING US WITH OUR OUR EFFORTS. SO FOR OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND ENERGY SAVINGS, WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO APPLY THIS GRANT TO OUR PUBLIC PROJECTS. WE HAVE MANY AS YOU KNOW IN OUR FIVE YEAR CAPITAL PLAN AND THE CITY IS VERY MUCH BEHIND THE GREEN INITIATIVE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE BEING BECOMING MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT AND I LIKE TO USE THE EXPRESSION OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY IF WE CAN GET WE CAN GET GRANTS SUCH AS THIS TO HELP OUR EFFORTS THEN WE ARE PLEASED TO RECEIVE THEM. SO VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE AND IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.  THANK YOU. YEAH I WOULD I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THE ORIGIN OF WHAT WE KNOW FROM EVERSOURCE BUT IS IT BECAUSE OF ANY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT? IS IT COMING FROM MITIGATION? IS IT AN ANNUAL GRANT? SO UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION. I WISH I DID KNOW AHEAD OF TIME THE SOURCE OF THE GRANT. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY APPLICATIONS THAT ARE FILED ANNUALLY SOMETIMES WE GET THEM, SOMETIMES WE GET WE DON'T MY.  SUSPICION IS THIS WAS PUT IN PROGRESS A WHILE AGO TO HELP OUR EFFORTS OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY EFFORTS BUT I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE THE DETAILS BUT I CAN FIND THEM OUT IF YOU LIKE.  OKAY YEAH THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE CAN JUST UNDERSTAND WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS GOING TO BE A RECURRING GRANT SEPARATELY ALSO WHAT IS THIS MONEY GOING TO BE ALLOCATED FOR?  ARE THERE SPECIFIC PROJECTS IN MIND? WE SO IT'S INTERESTING WE HAVE SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY IN DESIGN. WE HAVE SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE IN A FEASIBILITY STUDY SO THESE SPECIFIC PROJECTS I WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK WITH A LIST THAT SAYS THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD THEM TO BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE TIMING OF THE GRANT WHEN THE MONEY WOULD ARRIVE BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW WE HAVE TO COMMIT FUNDS ONLY ONCE THE FUNDS ARE ACTUALLY AUTHORIZED AND APPROPRIATED SO DEPENDING ON THE TIMING OF THE GRANT I'D BE ABLE TO TELL YOU MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHEN AND HOW THEY WOULD ALIGN IT. IT SAYS THIS WOULD INCLUDE THE VALUE OF REBATES AND EQUIPMENT. DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT THAT YOU KNOW THAT THIS GRANT WOULD FUND? WELL, RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING ON SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT IN GENERAL LIKE IT. SO YOU'RE HANDLING UNITS, HEAT PUMPS, ENERGY RECOVERY UNITS.  THAT'S THE TYPE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD BE APPLYING THIS MONEY FOR. THERE IS A PUSH FOR GEOTHERMAL AS WELL. SO THERE'S ONE PROJECT WHERE WE ARE WORKING ON GEOTHERMAL HEAT RECOVERY AND AGAIN TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO SPREAD THE WEALTH THAT WAS THAT'S OUR GOAL TO BE ABLE TO DO SO I'M NOT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SAY THIS.  SO $10 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY BUT $10 MILLION CAN ONLY GET SPREAD SO FAR DEPENDING ON WHAT THE PROJECT SIZE IS. SO I DON'T WANT TO REALLY OVERCOMMIT BUT THAT WE WOULD REALLY HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ALLOCATION IS, THE TIMING OF THE FUNDING STREAM THIS IS A RECURRING FUND. HMM. THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS I REALLY NEED TO ANSWER TO BE ABLE TO BE MORE SPECIFICALLY TELL YOU HOW THIS WOULD HAPPEN. THANK YOU. I AM A FAN OF GEOTHERMAL.  UM I JUST WENT TO EAST FARM AND IT REALLY IS IT'S IT'S THE FUTURE SO I'M HAPPY TO HEAR YOU BRING UP GEOTHERMAL IN GENERAL BUT AIR HANDLING UNITS, HEAT PUMPS AND THEN IF I CAN JUST GET THE THE ORIGIN OF THIS THIS MONEY AND WHY AND HOW IT'LL BE DISPERSED THAT WOULD BE GREAT. ABSOLUTELY. I'LL PASS IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL I BELIEVE IT WAS COUNCILOR AARON MURPHY WHO SHOWED UP FIRST AND THEN COUNCILOR FLYNN.  THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU. FIRST I WANT TO THANK EVERSOURCE $10 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY AND GRATEFUL FOR THEM TO GIVE THAT TO OUR CITY. IT DOES STATE THAT ONE OF THE RESTRICTIONS IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT SO IT WON'T EXCEED 10 MILLION. BUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER RESTRICTIONS THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF OTHER THAN THE DOLLAR AMOUNT? I AM NOT BECAUSE WE SO NO OTHER RESTRICTIONS OTHER THAN OUR TYPICAL RESTRICTIONS IN OTHER WORDS WHEN WE SPEND CAPITAL FUNDS WE ARE RESTRICTED TO PUBLIC FACILITIES AND THE LIKE . NO OTHER RESTRICTIONS BEYOND THAT THOUGH AND WILL ANY OF THESE REBATES OR MONEY BE GIVEN DIRECTLY TO RESIDENTS, EVERSOURCE USERS OR ALL FOR DEPARTMENT TO USE AS WE BUILD OUT THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS?  RIGHT AS I'VE READ THE INFORMATION I HAVE SO FAR, IT'S STRICTLY TO PUBLIC FACILITIES ACTUAL PUBLIC ASSETS NOT DISTRIBUTED TO RESIDENTS PER SE AND THE QUESTIONS THAT THE CHAIR HAD ALREADY PUT ON RECORD FUNDS WOULD JUST BE GREAT.  I KNOW IF YOU HAVE AN ANSWER NOW THAT'LL BE GREAT TO YOU BUT LOOKS LIKE YOU KNOW NO WHAT I'M ACTUALLY DOING IS TAKING NOTES TO MAKE SURE THAT I ACCURATELY RECORD THE REQUESTS.  I GENERALLY AS A RULE I'M VERY CAREFUL TO TRY OVERPROMISE.  I'D REALLY RATHER ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND LOOK AT THE LIST AND SAY BASED ON THE TIMING BECAUSE THAT THAT'S THE KEY FEATURE AS YOU KNOW BECAUSE WE HAVE WORK THAT'S ALREADY IN PROGRESS.  BUT I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO OUTLINE AS THE MONEY ARRIVES I GET SPECIFICALLY SAY THIS IS THE AMOUNT WE CAN EVEN HAVE SOME FORM OF COST ALLOCATIONS TO SAY APPROXIMATELY THIS MUCH FOR THAT PROJECT. THE PROJECT APPROXIMATELY THE AMOUNT FOR ANOTHER PROJECT AND IT'S INSIDE YOUR OWN DEPARTMENT . BUT IS THERE ANY WAY THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ADVOCATING FROM THEIR PROJECT TO GET IT OR IS IT KIND OF FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE AND THEN ONCE IT'S GONE? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OF HOW THAT'S GOING TO LOOK? I DO ACTUALLY. SO FORTUNATELY WE HAVE AGAIN CAREFULLY CHOOSING WORDS WERE SOMEWHAT INOCULATED FROM THE FIRST COME FIRST SERVE OR FOR THOSE WHO ASK BECAUSE WE HAVE A SCHEDULE OF PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE PIPELINE AND SO AS PROJECTS ARE MOVING FORWARD THAT THERE'S A NATURAL SCHEDULE THAT GOES WITH IT SO IT'S NOT REALLY SUBJECT TO YOU KNOW, MOVING AROUND OR YIELDING TO OTHER CONCERNS LET'S JUST SAY IT THAT WAY. RIGHT. SO NO AND AND I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO JUST SAY THIS IS WHERE WE IS.  AND YOU KNOW, I HAVE A OF YOU KNOW, I CAME OUT OF THE BUDGET OFFICE LIKE VERY ANALYTICAL. HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE HAVE? HOW FAR DOWN A LIST CAN WE GO DRAW THE LINE AND THAT'S THE END OF IT AS OPPOSED TO MOVING THINGS AROUND. I HOPE THAT HELPS.  NO OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR MURPHY. COUNSELOR FLYNN.  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO CARLETON FOR THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY FOR MANY YEARS. YOUR PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONALISM AND DEDICATION TO THE RESIDENTS IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. MY QUESTION IS WITH THIS $10 MILLION GRANT WOULD IT HELP ANY RESIDENTS LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING AND IN MAKING ANY TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT? SO UNFORTUNATELY NOT THIS GRANT, NOT THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENT ONLY BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE HOUSING PROJECTS.  I MEAN IF WE DID I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THAT'S THE CASE. BUT OUR OUR PROJECTS ARE STRICTLY FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS PUBLIC ASSETS.  SO IN PUBLIC DEPARTMENT ASSETS NOT PUBLIC HOUSING NECESSARILY SO IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE THEY WOULD NOT BE USED FOR THAT GRANT.  OKAY. GIVE ME GIVE ME AN IDEA OF IF SOMEONE DID RECEIVE FUNDING THROUGH THIS THROUGH THIS GRANT. GIVE ME AN IDEA OF WHAT TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS A CITY BUILDING MAY RECEIVE.  OKAY. SO I CAN USE AN EXAMPLE THAT'S CURRENTLY UNDER WAY. SO YOU KNOW THE FORMER THE FORMERLY KNOWN THE EDWARDS MIDDLE SCHOOL NOW IT'S THE HORACE MANN SCHOOL AND THE EARLY EDUCATION CENTER. SO WE PUT A LARGE MECHANICAL UNIT ON THAT BUILDING A HEAT RECOVERY ENERGY RECOVERY . WE'RE SHIFTING MORE TOWARDS HEAT PUMPS AS A WAY TO RECOVER ENERGY. WE DON'T HAVE GEOTHERMAL AT THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT GEOTHERMAL IN ANOTHER LOCATION. SO THESE ARE AREAS AND THESE ARE WAYS IN WHICH THIS GRANT WOULD BE EXPENDED IN THAT TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND I WHEN I COME TO THESE MEETINGS I TRY TO EDUCATE THE LISTENERS AND VIEWERS AS WELL. TELL TELL ME TELL US WHAT GEOTHERMAL IS PLEASE. OH OKAY. SO OH SO GEOTHERMAL IS A WAY TO UTILIZE THE NATURAL HEATING AND COOLING OF THE EARTH.  SO WELLS ARE DUG AND I'LL USE THE EXAMPLE OF THE I VISITED THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY COMPUTING AND SCIENCE BUILDING WHERE THEY HAVE 40 WELLS DUG IN AND AROUND THE BUILDING WHERE THEY WILL RUN CHILLED WATER DOWN THAT WILL WARM UP THE CHILL WATER. THE WATER COMES BACK UP TO JUST THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THE WATER THAT GOES DOWN IN THE WATER THAT COMES BACK IN THE YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO GO FOR COOLING AND THE OPPOSITE ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN THE HEATING THAT THE WATER DOWN AH THE EARTH CAN ACTUALLY WARM UP THE WATER DEPENDING ON WHAT THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER IS THAT IT GETS SENT DOWN.  BUT THEY USE THAT AS HEAT RECOVERY . IT'S ALMOST LIKE ELECTRIFICATION WHERE YOU HAVE BATTERIES AND YOU'RE TAKING ENERGY YOUR STORY INTO THE BATTERY BATTERY YOU'RE TAKING WATER AND YOU'RE RUNNING IT THROUGH THE GROUND THROUGH THESE GEOTHERMAL WELLS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE WHICH HELPS ON YOUR OVERALL HEATING OR COOLING EXPENDITURE . IS IS THE BOSTON WATER AND SEWER COMMISSION ARE THEY PART OF THAT PLAN IF GEOTHERMAL WAS IMPLEMENTED? SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO CONSULT WITH BOSTON WATER AND SEWER ON ALL OF OUR PROJECTS AS MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE GEOTHERMAL IN PARTICULAR NO BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TYING INTO THEIR NETWORKS WE'RE NOT TYING INTO THEIR THEIR WATER SOURCES OR USES OF STORMWATER RETENTION OR THE LIKE. SO AS I UNDERSTAND AGAIN THIS IS OUR FIRST FORAY INTO THIS AS WELL AND I'M BECOMING MORE AND MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT IT BUT AS I UNDERSTAND NOW NO BOSTON WATER SOURCE NOT INVOLVED WELL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THESE FOR SEVEN YEARS AND HAVE OUTSTANDING DEDICATED DEDICATED CITY EMPLOYEES. I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.  THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN, I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO EAST FARM IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY BEEN THEY DO GEOTHERMAL AND IT WAS BUILT BY UNION LABOR WHO TYPICALLY DO GAS FITTING AND PLUMBING AND THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY THEY WERE PART OF IT BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A JUST TRANSITION BUT THEY HAVE WELLS THAT GO DOWN 85 FEET AND THEY USE AIR. SO NO MATTER WHAT AT THIS CERTAIN LEVEL OF EARTH IT'S 65 DEGREES SO IT KEEPS IT COOL IN THE SUMMERTIME AND THEN WARM IN THE WINTERTIME AND THEN IT ALSO CATCHES WHEN RAINWATER SO WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU COME OUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO AND THAT GOES FOR ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES BUT IT TRULY IS CUTTING EDGE AND I KNOW THE CITY'S LOOKING AT IT SO I THINK IT WAS FRANKLIN FIELD THAT THEY'RE STARTING TO DO A PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT AROUND GEOTHERMAL SO AND LOCAL 12 LOVES IT. OTHER FOLKS LOVE IT THE ENVIRONMENTALIST. SO IT REALLY IS GOING TO HELP US WITH OUR DECARBONIZATION GOALS AND OUR ELECTRIFICATION IF I MAY ADD WE ALSO HAVE THE JOHN F KENNEDY SCHOOL IN JP WE'VE DONE TEST WELLS THERE SO WE ARE BEGINNING TO USE THAT AS I KNOW I SAY A TEST PROJECT BUT OUR FIRST PROJECT WITH THE GEOTHERMAL YEAH IT'S IT'S EXCELLENT AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT THE CITY IS GOING TO PRODUCE IN TERMS OF GEOTHERMAL SO I HOPE THAT THERE'S MORE TO COME. I WOULD LOVE TO GET THAT INFORMATION FROM YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. IS THERE ANYTHING ADDITIONAL THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR GRANT?  NOT AT THIS TIME. I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THE INFORMATION TO YOU EXPEDITIOUSLY JUST SO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHERE WE INTEND TO GO WITH THESE PROJECTS, WITH THESE FIRES, THIS GRANT FUNDING.  GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH WITH THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC TESTIMONY I'M GUESSING ONLINE OR IN PERSON.  OKAY. SO WITH THAT WE WILL MOVE. NO, NOT PUBLIC TESTIMONY. I GUESS THIS HEARING WILL JUST BE CLOSED.  WE DO HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON WEDNESDAY AND SO IF WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TO US, WE'LL MOVE THIS GRANT FORWARD. I'M AND THEN AFTER THAT I DON'T I DON'T HAVE THE CALENDAR IN FRONT OF ME.  IF WE DON'T GET THAT INFORMATION IT HAVE TO GO TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING SO WITH THAT THIS HEARING ON DOCKET 0682 IS ADJOURNED. THANKS EVERYBODY. THANK YOU FOR