THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, FEbrUAry 2, 2024 Page 9 President of State Police Association of Massachusetts Brian Williams said the event was critical to State Police values of justice, accountability and transparency. BENEFIT | FROM PAGE 8 Coffee and the Mass. State Police. “Today’s “Talks with Troopers” was a great opportunity to foster community engagement and provide a comfortable setting for residents and local elected officials to connect with local and state law enforcement,” Giannino said. “I am thankful for the generosity and hospitality of Kane’s and the Delios family, who was instrumental in not only hostGOING GREEN | FROM PAGE 1 mitment is clearly recognized by the Commonwealth. I would like to thank the Healy/Driscoll Administration, Secretary of EOEEA Rebecca Tepper, Director of the Green Communities Division, Joanne Bissetta, the Legislature, and the Town’s state delegation for their continued support of these important initiatives.” Projects that will be funded through this grant include: • $79,942, DPW – air source heat pump • $12,452, DPW – weatherization door sealing • $65,440, Senior Center – heat pump RTU • $32,166, Senior Center – weatherization door sealing • $10,000, Town – administrative assistance “This funding will support the needed green upgrades in our town, which includes our DPW and our Senior Center,” Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta said. “This is a win-win for Saugus, where we will be saving taxpayer money while also reducing our carbon footprint and being environmentally focused. I would like to thank our Town Manager for always looking for grant opportunities for our community,” she said. Police Officers and Kane’s staff displayed donuts. ing the event, but giving back to the Benevolent Fund.” Kane’s co-owner and Saugus Town Meeting Precinct 10 member Peter Delios said it’s an honor to have the Mass. State Police at Kane’s Donuts in support of the Benevolent Fund. “Promoting a sense of community with the State Police – and those they serve – will help us all bring back trust into our communities,” said Delios. Saugus Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta said it was a well-attended event, where the public got to meet with Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeffrey Cicolini commended the town manager and his staff for their ongoing efforts to secure millions of dollars in grant money for Saugus. “Not only do these green grants allow us to ensure we are putting our best foot forward in reducing our carbon footprint and we are doing our part with energy conservation and reducing our reliance on natural resources, we do it without increasing the tax burden on our residents,” Cicolini said. “This grant as well as the many other grants the town has received in addition to the green community grants demonstrates the persistence and commitment that our administration has to explore all funding sources that are available to us. These successes allow us to invest in our community and make certain our Town remains attractive and desirable to our current and future residents while avoiding the need for any additional tax burden on our community.” Projects funded through prior grants have included: • The conversion from incandescent and fluorescent bulbs to LED in several town buildings, including Town Hall and the Senior Center, the exterior of the PubState Troopers and local police personnel. “Community involvement is very important, and I want to thank Rep. Giannino for coordinating this great event,” Panetta said. “I also want to thank Kane’s for hosting.” Kane’s Co-Owner Maria Delios said it was an opportunity to give back to the fallen first responders and bring the community together. This is the first of many events where Kane’s and Stella Blue will partner with the State Police to support the Benevolent Fund. They plan to bring lic Safety Building, and at the DPW, reducing electrical costs by more than $30,000 annually • Roof replacement and a new roof unit on the Public Safety Building, ensuring proper functioning, improved interior air quality and uniform temperatures within the building • The replacement of pumps, drives and motors on the heating system in Town Hall, which included high-efficiency motors, reducing wear-and-tear and energy use costs • The replacement of the hot water boiler at Town Hall to reduce energy consumption and costs Under the Green Communities Act, cities and towns must meet five criteria to be designated a Green Community and receive funding. The grants provide financial support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that further the designated communities’ clean energy goals and are awarded to existing Green Communities that have successfully invested their initial designation grants and previous competitive grant awards. With the exception of $500,000 building decarbonization grants, awards are capped at $200,000 per muCoffee with a Cop, a networking event, to Kane’s with the Saugus Police Department in November. “Stella Blue Coffee and Kane’s Donuts partnered together for [today’s] event to give all proceeds back to the benevolent fund,” Maria Delios said. President of State Police Association of Massachusetts Brian Williams, on behalf of the members of the Association, thanked Rep. Giannino, the Delios family and Stella Blue Coffee for sponsoring the morning’s “Talks with Troopers” event in Saugus. “Having nicipality. “Reducing energy use is good for municipal budgets and good for our climate,” Governor Maura Healey said. “It’s important to recognize the hard work being done by our cities and towns to address climate change. Local action is essential to help Massachusetts meet its climate goals. We are happy to support these communities as they move forward with projects that help make Massachusetts a healthier and more affordable place to live and do business.” Members of the town’s state legislative delegation said in a joint press release that the state’s investment in Saugus aligns with the broader statewide effort to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “We are grateful to the Department of Energy Resources for awarding us this grant, which will be instrumental in aiding the Town of Saugus to continue its commitment to a green and sustainable future,” Rep. Donald Wong (R-Saugus) said. State Rep. Jessica Giannino (D-Revere) said making investments to improve energy conservation measures in municipal facilities “will pay dividends in the future for the residents of Saugus.” the opportunity to connect with members of the community, elected leaders and fellow law enforcement officials from around the Commonwealth is critical to our values of justice, accountability and transparency,” Williams said. “The turnout was incredibly humbling, and the generous contributions to our Benevolent Fund, which helps the families of first responders who have given their lives in the line of duty, is a testament to every participant’s commitment to the troopers and families we represent.” “The funding to secure these improvements will ensure that our community has clean and efficient energy sources in these spaces and will save tax dollars in the long run,” Rep. Giannino said. State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) noted that the latest grant allows the town “to implement crucial upgrades that will benefit the community and the environment.” “These efforts will help advance Saugus’ efforts towards a greener and more sustainable future,” Crighton said. Here is a summary of the six Green Community grants received by the town: • December 2015, $208,335 to fund energy conservation measures, electric vehicle purchase, EV charging station, lighting, HVAC improvements, variable frequency drives and motors, and administrative costs in municipal facilities, including Veterans Memorial and Belmonte Middle Schools, and vehicle fleet • July 2017, $242,903 to fund energy conservation measures in municipal facilities, including Public Safety Building and Public Library. The energy conservaGOING GREEN | SEE PAGE 11
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