Tewksbury Officially Earns 'Green Community' Status

Kermit the Frog sang that, "it's not easy being green." But it's got to be easier than getting there.

After a long, arduous process involving the cooperative efforts of several town departments and two Town Meeting votes, Tewsksbury officials received word this week that the town had officially been designated as a Green Community.

As a result, Tewksbury will be eligible for up to $207,725 in grants for local renewable power and energy efficiency projects.

"This is great news," said , who serves as chairwoman of the Green Committee. "This was a lot of hard word and every single member of the committee contributed."

Of the five crtiteria required to achieve Green Community status, the one that provided the most problems was the Stretch Energy Code, which puts certain energy efficiency requirements on new construction projects and some improvement projects. but was

Tewksbury was one of 21 cities and towns to earn Green Community status this year, bringing the overall total in the commonwealth to 74.

“This is a great opportunity for Tewksbury. This initiative promotes energy savings and job creation, two things I have been a strong advocate for,” said “There are many enhancements the town is now eligible for, including installing solar panels or energy efficient lighting in municipal buildings or purchasing hybrid vehicles for municipal fleets. There are so many possibilities that will bring down energy costs for Tewksbury and better the environment.”

“We are all working hard to make sure Tewksbury’s financial base starts growing significantly,” added “The ‘Green Community’ designation helps our cause dramatically. The potential infusion of state funding will make us eligible for further investment.”

Stronach and Town Manager Richard Montuori said the Green Committee will be meeting next week to review the plan and discuss where to apply the funds. The town has until Aug. 19, to submit applications for grants that will be awarded later this year.

“The Board of Selectmen is always pushing for new ways to better the town. Becoming a ‘Green Community’ is a valuable resource that Tewksbury will surely take full advantage of. I look forward to working with the Green Committee on their plans to utilize these funds and thank the delegation for fighting for Tewksbury’s interests,” said Todd Johnson, chairman of the Tewksbury Board of Selectmen.

In all, $3.7 million in grant money will be distributed to the 74 cities and towns with Green Community status. These grants are funded through a Federal program.

Accoding to the office of Gov. Deval Patrick, each Green Community designated this week will also receive a certificate from the Commonwealth, four road signs identifying it as an official Green Community, and at least one Big Belly solar trash compactor for municipal use.

“We are making real progress in achieving a clean energy future for the Commonwealth, one community at a time,” said Gov. Deval Patrick. “These investments encourage energy savings, create jobs and protect our environment – boosting our economy and improving our quality of life.”

In addition to Stronach, members of the Tewksbury Green Committee include Robert Fowler, Marc Ginsburg, James Duffy, Joseph Cary, Brian Dick, Thomas Cooke, Krissy Polimeno and Planning Director Steve Sadwick.