The Public Facilities Committee met on Wednesday, May 20. See the report and meeting video.
Held
- Energy use reporting ordinance for residential rental buildings — 8-0. The Newton Energy Commission requested discussion and an ordinance requiring owners of tenant-let residential buildings not subject to Newton’s BERDO or Massachusetts’ LBER Program to report annual energy use metrics to the city. Commission Chair Philip Hanser argued that these properties (residential buildings under 20,000 square feet) represent a large fraction of Newton’s residential emissions. “Newton BERDO and Massachusetts LBER cover commercial and residential buildings over 20,000 square feet, about 28% of citywide emissions, but they do not cover residential natural gas, oil, and electricity at properties below the 20,000 square foot threshold, a large fraction of the residential sector. He noted that these properties under 20,000 square feet are where most Newton renters actually live and where energy costs hit hardest in proportion to income.” Philip Hanser stated that requiring energy use reporting will make energy costs more visible to renters, showing them how they can reduce their energy use. Assistant City Solicitor Andrew Lee reiterated that the Law Department’s legal concerns from a previous hearing persist: Massachusetts law treats residential energy use as confidential information, and the City likely lacks authority to require its disclosure without state legislation. Councilors raised concerns about the program’s timeline, the burden on landlords unfamiliar with technology, the lack of incentives versus penalties, and the impact of a public map identifying tenant-let buildings. Several councilors expressed interest in a pilot program or pursuing a home rule petition.
Present: Councilors Kalis (Chair), Albright, Gordon, Dahmubed, Grossman, Kelley, Getz, and Leary.
City staff: Andrew Lee, Assistant City Solicitor; Sam Nighman, Co-Director of Sustainability.