High Interest In Framingham Climate Candidate Forum: Letter

The following is a letter to the editor and does not necessarily reflect the views of Framingham Patch.

Framingham residents are being asked to elect a mayor and City Councilors on Nov. 2. One of the most critical issues in this election is how our elected officials will address sustainability and climate change. Will the mayor and City Council will work together in 2022-2026 to make Framingham a clean energy leader by finally putting solar on our schools and municipal buildings, buying electric vehicles for appropriate City-owned vehicles, and taking advantage of exciting new opportunities to address resiliency, district energy, clean energy equity, and electrification? Will the City buy the rights to the Bruce Freeman rail trail and create a trails master plan? Will plastics and litter be addressed through thoughtful new policies? Will future new developments be built to be forward-thinking and address transportation needs like public transit and EV charging or will simply bring more traffic?

A lot of Framingham residents share these concerns. On Sept. 24, the Framingham Mayoral and Council Candidates Climate Action Forum was held. More than 50 people attended in person (with masks and spacing) at the Plymouth Church Framingham with another 50 viewing live online. Since then, there have been 345 views of the recording, available on YouTube (see below).

Both mayoral candidates Charlie Sisisky and Yvonne Spicer participated, as did 10 of the 14 council candidates. The councilors not participating were Michael Cannon, Christine Long and Edgardo Torres and Phillip Ottaviani. The candidates were given a climate action theme to speak to in their introductions and then each one had to answer one of six prepared questions randomly selected. Each one also had to answer one of six questions randomly selected from the audience.

It is vital that candidates who are willing to chart a course of action to address climate change be elected in the Framingham November city election. A climate action plan with goals of 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2026 and 50 percent reduction by 2030 is essential by the end of their first year in office. These candidates need to commit to installing solar panels at all suitable municipal and school properties before the solar incentives run out in 2023 and to purchasing only electric vehicles, where available, going forward.

It is vital that candidates be elected that are willing to set a new future for Framingham in which kids go to schools that have solar panels, we become a destination for bike trail enthusiasts and we all enjoy a clean, attractive city. Immediate decisive action is needed by our elected officials to address the climate crisis and to make Framingham a great place to live, work or visit.

—Plymouth Church of Framingham Green Team, First Parish Climate Action Team, Sustainable Framingham