Canton, Massachusetts · Saved source text

9-25-2025 MPIC Minutes

Master Plan Implementation Committee · Source meeting date: 2025-09-25 · Record 81983

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Master Plan Implementation Committee 
Meeting Minutes 
Thursday, September 25, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. 
Zoom Meeting 
Present: Emilio Mauro, Chair (Finance Committee); Peg Mead, Vice Chair, (Citizen -at - 
Large); Jim Quigley (Planning Board); Bob MacDonald (Conservation Commission); and 
Janice McCarthy (Playground and Recreation Commission). 
Not Present: Alan Rapoport (Economic Development Committee); Patricia Boyden (Select 
Board); Mike Nourse (Historical Commission); and Sonja Grauds (School Committee) 
Staff Member: Connor Murphy, Town Planner 
Item #r - Introductions 
Chair Mauro called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. He welcomed everyone to the Master 
Plan Implementation Committee (MPIC) meeting and introduced the committee members, 
Connor Murphy, Town Planner, and Tom Birmingham who will update the committee on the 
Climate Action Plan. He explained that the MPIC is meeting via Zoom and he would like to 
welcome the viewers. 
Item #2 — Action Plan Undate 
Chair Mauro introduced the next item, the Action Plan Update, and he asked Mr. Murphy to 
explain the process. 
Mr. Murphy explained that they have been working on obtaining professional services for the 
Master Plan Action Plan update and they have finalized the contract with Horsley Witten. 
They have circulated a worksheet to Department heads, Boards, and Committees and given 
them a deadline of October 3rd to get back to him with comments about their progress 
implementing the Master Plan Action Items. They were given more time if there were 
additional items to be discussed. He is working with the newly formed Working Group and 
has scheduled an initial meeting, The Working Group consists of Mr. Mauro, Mr. Quigley, Ms. 
Boyden and Ms. Mead, and there will be a presentation to the MPIC planned in October. 
There has been a snag in the timeline due to having changed Town Counsel, and the timeline 
has been pushed out a month so instead of the update being completed by the beginning of 
December, the target is now the end of January. 
Mr. Murphy has been working with the Town Administrator's Office on how the bidding 
process works, along with how the Town can form subcommittees or working groups. Under 
State statute in the bidding process, the Town is required to reach out to three (3) firms, which 
we did. One firm did not submit anything, another missed the deadline, and the last one was 
Horsley Witten. Regarding the Working Group, it will have four members of the MPIC as 
members (essentially a sub -committee of the MPIC) with Mr. Murphy as a staff member. If 
sub -committee meetings are called for by a committee staff member, and not by a member of 
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Committee — Minutes

the committee, it does not trigger the need to publicly post the meeting. A staff member does 
not represent a member of the committee and there will not be a quorum of the MPIC 
involved. However, if there were to be five (5) MPIC members in attendance (an MPIC 
quorum), an agenda would need to be posted. Mr. Murphy is gathering information from the 
Department heads, Board members, and Committee members in-house and this will help us 
stay within the Town Meeting approved $15,000.00 funding limit. 
Mr. Murphy explained that he will be working on this update process and present to the MPIC 
at the end of October, along with his and Horseey Witten's collaboration with the Working 
Group through upcoming meetings. 
Due to Connor Murphy needing to leave the meeting early, the agenda was taken out of order 
to allow for Town Planner Updates. 
Item #4 — Town Planner Updates 
Mr. Murphy gave updates to the Committee. The Zoning Articles for Town Meeting 2025 were 
all vetted by the Attorney General's Office and the Planning Department is working on 
updating the Zoning By-laws with the approved amendments and the Zoning Map 
amendments. 
The Article regarding M.G.L. Chapter 4oD designation for 3o Dan Road was approved. The 
Town met with the State and hosted an Interagency Permitting Council, which was attended 
by MassDOT, Department of Environmental Affairs, and the Economic Development Board 
from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Our 43D Application has been vetted and 
successful and the Council was quite impressed with the amount of 43D sites in Canton and 
Canton's use of the provision. A Ch.43D is an expedited permitting process in which the Town 
agrees to a thorough but timely review process with a decision being made on the application 
within r8o days. 
The August 2025 Special Town Meeting was successful, and the FEMA Article received a two- 
thirds vote, was accepted, and therefore passed. The only thing missing from the original 
article at the 2025 Annual Town Meeting in May were a few words in order to comply with 
FEMA regulations. This was brought into compliance three (3) days after the Special Town 
Meeting and all situations were rectified. This allowed residents to renew or obtain Flood 
Insurance, and the FEMA maps were changed slightly. The Town is now in good standing 
regarding the National Flood Insurance Program. 
Mr. Murphy reported that the Town is working on the Open Space and Recreation Plan 
update and a vendor has been selected and it is Horsley Witten. These updates will be worked 
on until June 2o26, at which time, the Plan, with updates, will be submitted to the State and 
then the Town will wait to hear feedback. 
The Planning Department is also continuing to look at some of the Town's commercial areas 
for design standards and rezoning, along with doing the background work with the 
Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). The advantage of working with MAPC is that 
their Planning Services charge an affordable rate and they also identify grant opportunities. 
More specifically, the Planning Department is looking at the Rt. 138 corridor to implement 
design standards and encourage redevelopment, Mr. Murphy will continue to work on this 
with various town officials and stakeholders. 
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The Town is also working with Transportation Partners to improve and expand on last mile 
transportation, which provides shuttle service for 2nd and 3m shift workers from the Canton 
Junction MBTA station to various participating businesses in Canton. So far, this has been 
mostly focused on the Royall Street area but it is hoped that it can be expanded to also serve 
the Shawmut Road area, and the Rt. 138 Corridor section of Dan Road, and John Road. 
St. Gerard's Update: Mr. Murphy explained that former Town Planner T.J. Torres had 
obtained a Best Practices Grant to provide a study and Utile has been hired to deliver this 
study. This study is now complete and Utile has provided (3) options for best scenarios: 
i. Retrofitting the building and using it for various programs. 
2. Demolishing the existing complex and building a new structure to house selected 
municipal offices, and a youth and senior center to host programs, or 
3. Demolish the existing buildings and build a new Municipal complex and adding office 
space to house the Housing Coordinator, Veterans Agent, and Health Department, 
bringing all municipal departments together under one roof, and then adding a second 
building in the rear of the property for a youth and senior center, with additional 
public space and maybe the addition of a gymnasium or even an indoor track. 
Utile provided cost estimates for each scenario: #i — retrofitting would be $14M; #2 — one 
new building — $45M; and #3 Full Complex with Senior & Youth building - $64M. 
Mr. Murphy anticipates more meetings and further outreach to the public about what to do 
with this property. Also, to be discussed, is what would be done with the then remaining 
empty existing municipal buildings, if a new consolidated one is constructed at i86o 
Washington Street. 
There was concern regarding who was on the Reuse & Feasible Committee and if any citizens - 
at -large have been on these committees. Mr. Murphy believes that in the past there was a St. 
Gerard's Reuse Committee and he is not sure who was on that, but believes some members 
were Municipal employees, DPW, Town Administrator, and Select Board members. Mr. 
Mauro thought he recalled some citizens -at -large on that committee from 2022-2023 but was 
not sure of the number. 
Item #6 — Upcoming Meetings 
The MPIC discussed the next meeting will be held on October 30, 2025, and hopefully Horsley 
Witten will be able to attend and give the Board an update. 
Item #3 — Climate Action Plan Update 
Mr. Mauro introduced Mr. Tom Birmingham, Chair of the Sustainability and Climate Action 
Plan Steering Committee, to update the MPIC on the Climate Action Plan (CAP), which was 
approved in June 2025 by the Select Board. He explained that the Climate Action Plan was 
approved by the Select Board and he did a debriefing of the Plan for the MPIC through a 
number of slideshow items. 
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CAP Item# 1 — CAP Overview 
There are 8 areas: 
i. Climate education 
2. Energy 
3. Built environment 
4. Critical infrastructure 
5. Mobility 
6. Waste 
7. Natural Resources 
8. Public health and resilience. 
The plan also has 18 Strategies and 45 Actions within these areas to be realized over 25 
years. This Climate Action Plan has been Select Board approved; and aligns with the 
Canton Master Plan. The CAP actions are currently prioritized into three time -based 
categories: Short, Medium, and Long Term, 
CAP Item # 2 — Target Outcomes 
The CAP establishes clear goals, measurable targets, and actionable strategies to: 
a. Help achieve cleaner air, more resilient infrastructure, and more sustainable 
growth. 
b. Provide for decarbonization pathways. 
c. Continue fostering a stronger, healthier, more equitable, and more engaged 
community. 
d. Help qualify Canton for Climate Leader Community certification, including up 
to $rM in grant funding and technical assistance. 
CAP Item # 3 — The Commitment 
Approval of the CAP commits the Town of Canton to pursuing the following key 
recommended actions: 
1. Achieve community -wide, net -zero GHG emissions by 2050, including a 50% 
reduction below lggo emissions levels by 203o and a 75% reduction by 2040. 
2. Eliminate Canton's municipal on -site fossil fuel use by 2050. 
3. Utilize a public education campaign to support approval at the May 2026 
Annual Town Meeting of the Opt -in Specialized Energy Code. 
4. Adopt the MA Zero -Emission -Vehicle First policy. 
5. Support implementation of the municipal Decarbonization Roadmap. 
6. Address the remaining strategies and actions outlined in the CAP. 
CAP Item # 4 — Canton Climate Leader Community Certification 
These are the certification requirements for this Climate Leader Community (CLC) 
status (with current status): 
1. Be a Green Community in Good Standing (completed) 
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2. Establish and Maintain a Local Committee (ongoing) 
3. Commit to Municipal Decarbonization (completed) 
4. Approve a Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap (completed) 
5. Approve a Zero -Emission -Vehicle First Policy (pending future approval) 
6. Adopt the Opt -In Specialized Energy Code (pending future approval) 
CAP Item # 5 — Resources 
Implementation of the CAP requires Select Board approval of resources, including an 
Energy Consultant. The consultant will focus on the following CLC Certification 
Requirements: 
Decarbonization Roadmap 
• Assess building performance and identify improvement opportunities. 
• Develop an energy management work plan. 
• Support adoption of the MA Zero -Emission Vehicle First Policy. 
Develop and implement Opt -In Specialized Energy Code Education; and 
Develop future funding opportunities. 
CAP Item # 6 — Next Steps 
• School Committee Vote on Decarbonization Plan — Fall 2025 
• Obtain Select Board Funding Approval of Energy Consultant — Fall 2025 
• Obtain Select Board Approval of New Climate Action Implementation 
Committee (CAIP) Committee — Fall 2025 
• Begin implementation of Key CLC — related Activities — Fall 2025 
CAP Item # 7 — Questions for the MPIC 
The following are a few questions for the Master Plan Implementation Committee 
(MPIC) for consideration: 
• How can the future "CAIP Committee" best support the MPIC's efforts to revise 
the Master Plan? 
• How can it help implement the revised Master Plan? 
• How can it coordinate funding requests and grant applications with other MPIC 
initiatives? 
Mr. Birmingham ended his presentation by explaining that all this information is on the Town 
of Canton Website and provided links and a QR Code to the Town CAP Website. The Town 
has worked on a few projects including upgrading the heating and cooling systems at the Town 
Hall and have accomplished a reduction in meter usage in all of the municipal buildings. They 
are asking the Select Board to consult with the Committee about obtaining an energy 
consultant to help them meet the 30% target and to include everything the Town has already 
accomplished in the past 5 to 6 years. 
Ms. Mead stated that this presentation was amazing and so much has been accomplished. 
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Item #5 — Acceptance of Minutes 
A motion was made by Ms. Mead and seconded by Mr. MacDonald to approve and accept the 
Minutes of the meeting of July 24, 2025, as written. Roll Call Taken, Motion Approved (5-0- 
o) (Yes - Mauro, Mead, Quigley, MacDonald, and McCarthy). 
The next meeting will be held on October 30th, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. via ZOOM. The plan will be 
to have the consultants from Horsley Witten at that meeting to give us an update on the Action 
Plan update, assuming it is good timing. NOTE: This meeting was eventually postponed until 
November 20a', 2025. 
Adjournment 
A motion was made by Mr. MacDonald and seconded by Ms. McCarthy to adjourn the 
meeting. Roll Call Taken, Motion Approved (5-0-0) (Yes - Mauro, Mead, Quigley, MacDonald, 
and McCarthy). 
Chair Mauro thanked attendees, Canton Community TV, and the audience who tuned in and 
watched the meeting. 
Connor Murphy 
MPIC — Town Planner 
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