by Hannah Taylor ·
Friday, March 14, 2025
In a unanimous vote Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Select Board approved the zero-emission vehicle first policy.
Aimed at reducing carbon emissions and advancing a municipal transition to clean energy, the ZEV first policy prioritizes the purchase of electric vehicles for town use. Under this policy, the town will now be required to buy new vehicles in order of prioritization from the most to least energy-efficient options available.
As Energy Advisory Committee Chair Brian Smith explained during a policy presentation at the Select Board meeting on Feb. 4, battery-run electric vehicles should be the town’s first choice where practicable, with hybrid electric or alternative fuel models as the next choices, and standard but fuel-efficient vehicles as the least preferable option.
When Smith first introduced the ZEV first policy to the Select Board last month, board members had voiced concerns about the financial burden the policy could impose upon the town. Such concerns were once again raised at the meeting on Feb. 25, where the board members collectively voiced their support of the policy, but with a wary hesitation in deference to vehicle costs.
“I don’t want to paraphrase for everyone, but I think we’re all concerned. We don’t want to get forced into buying something that is prohibitively expensive or doesn’t make sense,” said Select Board member Rich Maiore. “So I just want to know what I’m saying yes to … ’cause it’s a laudable idea.”
“I feel like there were enough exemptions and opportunities that at this moment in time we could make this policy work,” said Kara Minar, the Select Board vice chair. Currently, the only applicable vehicle in need of replacing is the building inspector’s truck. Other municipal vehicles such as police cruisers, emergency vehicles, and heavy-duty machinery are exempt from the policy. Moreover, Minar clarified, the policy comes into play only when a new vehicle is needed; the town can continue using any current nonexempt vehicles until they are in need of replacing.
Ultimately, the Select Board decided that policy implementation would be feasible and, as Chair SusanMary Redinger reminded her fellow board members, adopting the ZEV first policy could open up opportunities for the town to participate in climate-based state grant programs.