Sustainability Committee

The Committee’s focus is to ensure sustainability issues and opportunities in Weston are proactively managed, advising the Select Board and collaborating with Town departments and committees. The Committee will recommend, develop and monitor programs designed to enhance Weston’s long-term sustainability and resilience in response to environmental, resource and energy challenges. The full committee charge details 10 action items.

Committee Work

The Sustainability Committee strives for a concerted and strategic approach to sustainability planning, with an ultimate goal of formulating a Sustainability Action Plan for the Town of Weston. 

Current projects include:

• Active participation in the Green Communities program
• Active participation in the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program
• Supporting the implementation of the town’s Community Choice Aggregation process
• Supporting the implementation of Weston's Climate Action and Resilience Plan, Weston Ahead, which was completed in June 2021. 
• Putting in practice the learnings from the 2021 Comprehensive Municipal Energy Use Analysis and Evaluation (PDF)
• Strengthening our public outreach, including collaborations with resident groups and other boards and committees

The Sustainability Committee meets regularly in open meeting. Subscribe to receive email/text notifications when meeting agendas and minutes are posted online to follow progress of these projects.

Membership

The Sustainability Committee is made up of seven voting members and at-large members are appointed by the Select Board for a three-year term. 

• Nicholas Christman, Chair
  Term expires: 2025
• Katharina Wilkins, Select Board’s Representative
  Term expires: 2024
• Victor Guzman, at-large
  Term expires: 2024
• Sandy Kendall, at-large
  Term expires: 2026
• Adam Newman, School Committee Representative
• Alex Selvig, Planning Board Representative
• Phoebe Beierle, Permanent Building Committee Representative

Student Liaisons

The Sustainability Committee has partnered with Weston High School Students for Environmental Actions (SEA) Group. The SEA has selected three students to be Student Liaisons to help assist the Sustainability Committee in the schools. 

• Jonathan Lan, Senior WHS
• Thomas Li, Junior, WHS
• Rishi Vaddi, alternate, WHS

Committee expertise includes built environment technical expertise; land use technical expertise; waste management; water infrastructure; ecology; community organization; communication; and sustainability experience and interest.

The Committee may solicit participation from other non-voting individuals with skills and expertise to complete discrete projects required to achieve the committee’s objectives. It is expected the committee will collaborate with the Sustainable Weston Action Group (SWAG) and will utilize representatives from Facilities, Public Works, and other Town departments as resources when working.