City Council passes amendment 13-11, but State acceptance remains in doubt.
The June 3 City Council meeting contained item #49-24 “Discussion and possible adoption of an ordinance requiring electrification of all new construction and substantial renovations.” The proposed ordinance is called the Fossil Fuel-Free Ordinance (pages 7-11 here), which was described in detail in Fig City News following its unanimous passage in the City Council’s Zoning and Planning Committee on May 28. The ordinance bans the use of fossil fuels, including natural gas, in all new construction and major renovations in Newton. It derives from the state of Massachusetts’ Ten Communities Program, which is the pilot program to electrify the state’s buildings.
Ahead of the full Council voting to adopt the ordinance, Councilor Lenny Gentile (Ward 4) introduced an amendment that sought to exempt “indoor and outdoor cooking” from the electrification requirements. In his comments introducing the amendment, Councilor Gentile stated, “I find it very troubling that the Newton City Council would attempt to tell any constituent what they can and cannot cook with, which is what the ordinance as it’s currently crafted does.”
Councilor Gentile further stated that the City’s Law Department has been in contact with the State regarding whether or not this amendment, if passed, would cause Newton’s Fossil Fuel-Free Ordinance to be out of compliance with the Ten Communities Program. However, the State had not returned any guidance as of the June 3 Council meeting. Multiple Councilors commented that State acceptance of gas cooking was unlikely. Councilor Susan Albright (Ward 2) questioned whether Newton would lose its place in the Ten Communities Program if Newton passed the ordinance with Councilor Gentile’s amendment and the State ruled against it. Councilor Gentile noted that the State wants the program to be adopted, and therefore he felt in that circumstance that Newton would have the opportunity to pass the ordinance in a form substantially similar to the one previously approved the Zoning and Planning Committee, without the gas cooking exemption.
The amendment passed 13-11. Councilors Baker, Block, Farrell, Kalis, Wright, Laredo, Krintzman, Lucas, Micley, Oliver, Getz, Gentile, and Malakie voted Yes. Councilors Albright, Bixby, Danberg, Downes, Greenberg, Grossman, Humphrey, Leary, Lipof, Lobovitz, and Kelly voted Nay. The amended ordinance will likely be on the Council’s June 17 meeting agenda, following receipt of the State’s feedback and the possibility of further amendments.
The meeting replay is available on NewTV.