Attention to caring for and preserving our beautiful seaside environment is not a new priority for the town of York and its citizens.
In 2008 the York Selectboard signed the US Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement. (The Mayors Climate Protection Center, founded in 2007 as a subgroup of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, is dedicated to providing mayors with “the guidance and assistance they need to lead their cities’ efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are linked to climate change.”) That same year, the York Selectboard also sent voters a Green-Building ordinance developed by high-school students that would apply LEED standards to new town buildings. Additionally, the board formed the York Energy Steering Committee (ESC) to identify opportunities for energy conservation and efficiency upgrades in town buildings. The mission of the ESC has evolved over time and was officially revised in 2017: to advise the York Selectboard on matters of energy policy and assist the board in reducing York’s carbon emissions.
Of the many achievements the ESC has encouraged, significant changes for York include:
– LED streetlights, which immediately cut carbon emissions from town streetlights by 67%, saving roughly $120,000/year of town taxpayer money.
– Solar panels on the roof of the York Beach Fire Station, reducing the electric bill to $0.
– A weatherization program that reached out to families in need of assistance with energy audits, insulation and window inserts. With a small Rotary grant, Rotary and Selectboard members, high school students, and other volunteers built window inserts that were installed at no charge.
– And, support of a Vista Volunteer who conducted the first greenhouse gas emissions inventory of the entire York community, setting the stage for the Selectboard to make a formal commitment to cutting carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050. In 2019, the Climate Action Plan process began in earnest and was adopted by voters in May 2022.
Getting Ready:8 easy ways to reduce your home’s carbon footprint and heating bills
As a result of the Climate Action Plan, the Energy Steering Committee will now pass its baton to the newly formed Climate Action Committee, slated to coordinate work with the (also) newly appointed York Environmental Planner Taylor Maguire.
As the newest addition to York’s Planning Department, Maguire brings impressive experience from Utah, where she served most recently as an ecological impact analyst and as a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army National Guard. She earned a bachelor of science in urban ecology from the University of Utah, as well as a master of city & metropolitan planning with a dual emphasis on ecological planning and smart growth: Land use, transportation and accessibility. She articulates a “strong desire to empower communities and preserve their character.”
Getting Ready:8 easy ways to reduce your home’s carbon footprint and heating bills
In addition to the support our town government has provided, and no doubt will provide going forward, this new era of ongoing commitment to the quality of York’s environment rests and continues to rely on the work of many local volunteers. The upcoming years will require all of us to pitch in together on behalf of a safe and sustainable future. Many thanks to all of you who have brought us this far.
Bancroft volunteers with York Ready for Climate Action. YRCA is a grassroots citizens’ organization dedicated to increasing awareness of the causes and effects of climate change and advancing environmentally friendly and inclusive policies and behaviors. Please see yorkreadyforclimateaction.org or [email protected]. Information about EcoHOMES is on the same site.