HANSON — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, Jan. 25 honored Library staff member Antonia Leverone for her 3 years with Hanson Public Library.
“She assisted with the automation process in 2000,” Selectmen Chairman Matt Dyer read from an email about Leverone’s retirement from Library Director Karen Stolfer. “Toni was instrumental in obtaining a grant that provided materials and equipment for the blind and low-vision individuals.”
Leverone also took over leading the Library’s popular Book-To Movie Club after the passing of Nancy Cappellini and has managed the library’s magazine collection and helped ensure computers were up to date and maintained the collection of historical materials.
“I think Toni is an overall great example of a public servant who cared about the community in which she served and brought her passions to our community and shared them with us,” Dyer said.
Selectmen are sending her a citation honoring her service.
The board also held a brief public comment hearing on the town’s community aggregation plan with Patrick Roche of Good Energy, a hard copy of the responses gleaned during the public comment period is available for review at both the Town Hall and Library as well as on the town website.
The Dept. of Energy Resource next does a review and a final plan will be brought back before Selectmen, which is then reviewed by the Department of Public Utilities for review before bids are sought.
Residents have asked about details such as other town aggregations’ performance, how the plan impacts people with solar panels on their homes and how opting out works.
Selectmen Chairman Matt Dyer, who also serves on the town’s Energy Committee asked whether or how an aggregation plan might affect people on other low-income or other savings plans as well as how it could affect people with solar panels on their homes.
Roche said is would not affect people on other plans. Those with solar panels would see the credits they now receive would be valued and the way credits are allocated would not change. It would only change the cost of the electricity pulled from the grid.
Selectman Jim Hickey asked about the average savings for Gloucester’s four-year time period. Roche said that town have not yet seen the full impact of it.
“I know we had talked about this before and we had both agreed that it was not about the money, although citizens would save, it was the idea of using cleaner energy,” Hickey said. But saving $60 or $70 each year is kind of a win-win situation, he added.
Dyer also said the savings also hinge on how much energy people consume.
Selectman Joe Weeks asked if people want to stay with NatGrid, is there a participation threshold at which the contract could be nullified. Roche said it is not effected by that.
FitzGerald-Kemmett asked about the length of the contract and any decoupling process if the town decides the program isn’t what it wants. Roche said the most common contract is three years with some going a bit longer.
Usually after a full year the contract can be reviewed before a town decides to lock in for the next contract.
“I think it’s important that this vote we take tonight, what does that lock us into?” she said. “We’re not locking it down today, we’re going out for bids for brokers.”
“I just want people to understand there are a lot of checks and balances out there,” FitzGerald-Kemmett.
It process could take as long as two years to complete.