HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-11-08 Community Relations Subcommittee MinutesMinutes of Community Relations Subcommittee Meeting
RMLD Board of Commissioners
Date: November 8, 2005
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Place: General Manager's Conference Room
Attendees: Andrew Herlihy, RMLD Board Chairman
Ellen Kearns, RMLD Board Secretary
Vincent Cameron, General Manager
Priscilla Gottwald, Community Relations Manager
Beth-Ellen Antonio, Human Resources Manager
Laurie Cavagnaro, Customer Service Manager
Sylvia Vaccaro, Customer Specialist
Bobbi Maillett, Community Relations Assistant ;-e ff
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Re: Energy Assistance Programs U0
On November 8, the RMLD Community Relations (CR) Subcommittee met to discuss
conservation and customer assistance programs currently available to RMLD residential
customers. The Subcommittee would like to see RMLD involved in a program(s) targeted
exclusively to its own residential customers (Reading, North Reading, Wilmington and
Lynnfield). RMLD Board Secretary Ellen Kearns and RMLD Board Chair, Andrew Herlihy.
Commissioner members of the CR Subcommittee, requested an outline of the conservation
efforts, appliance rebates and monetary aid currently available to RMLD customers and also to
present other potential assistance program(s) that would help the RMLD customer with energy
expenses (to be presented at the November 19 Board meeting).
Chairman Herlihy would like to see more involvement in energy assistance programs for RMLD
customers. Conservation is a hot topic currently. RMLD is still a member of the Good Neighbor
Energy Fund, but Chairman Herlihy suggested instituting a program that will help customers
conserve energy.
Priscilla Gottwald presented an overview of the Cold Relief programs under the auspices of the
Massachusetts Department of Housing & Community Development. It encompasses three
programs: the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which we would not fund; the
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which provides home energy efficiency services and
the Heating Emergency Assistance Retrofit Task Weatherization Assistance Program
(HEARTWAP), which provides heating system repair and replacement. Recipients must qualify
for fuel assistance and the distribution of funds would be handled by the administration at local
energy assistance agencies that oversee residents in Reading, North Reading, Wilmington and
Lynnfield.
Priscilla Gottwald suggested that we donate monies collected from the customers for audits to
the government agencies, which oversee the WAP and HEARTWAP programs. These monies are
set aside for energy conservation programs.
Vinnie Cameron will look at these figures to determine what monetary amount RMLD could
donate.
Once a decision is made to contribute to these programs, Priscilla will send press releases to the
local papers keeping the public apprised of what RMLD is doing in the interest of conservation.
Respectfully submitted,
Bobbi Maillett
Community Relations Assistant