Councillor Brian Palmucci resigned as Ward Four City Councillor after accepting a nomination to become an associate justice of the district court. This vacancy means the city will hold a special election to fill this seat for the rest of the unexpired term. Because more than two people have returned papers, there will be a preliminary special election Tuesday, Jan. 17. The election to pick a new councilor will take place Tuesday, Feb. 7.

QCAN would like to know, and would like voters in Ward 4 to know, how these candidates plan to help fight climate change in our city. We posed the following question to the four candidates:

“If elected to finish out this term, what would you like to do with your time on city council to fight climate change?”

As of January 3rd we received responses from Joel Buenaventura, Matthew Lyons, and James Devine.

Joel Buenaventura  (via email):

I am a proponent of “Think Globally, Act Locally.” We know climate change is real and Quincy, a coastal city in an urban environment, is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution and rising sea levels. 

For the remainder of the Ward 4 Councilor’s Term in 2023, I will continue the conversation with the Administration:

• Food waste collection at QPS and curbside food waste pick-up.
• Forestry Division in the development of the urban canopy. Ward 4 hosts the largest concentration of trees in the City. I want to make sure trees and tree health is maintained.
• To inquire on Pine Hill Cemetery Expansion and environmental impacts.
• To promote participation in the 34^th Annual Cleaner, Greener Quincy in the spring of 2023 with my Ward 4 neighbors.

I hope that the above bullet points are just a start to our conversation. As Councilor, I would also like to expand on (1) sustainability, (2) net zero emissions, (3) climate resilient infrastructure and operations. I look forward to attending your meetings and hearing from your members about your most pressing concerns. 

Matthew Lyons (answered via facebook comment):

Coastal resiliency, ensuring city infrastructure is being planned in a way that accounts for sea level rise and climate change. Ensuring that city building codes are progressive without raising costs for working families.

Devine for Ward 4 (answered via facebook comment):

I believe we still need to work on the opt-in stretch code, if so I would like to see more. Another item is the compost task force, reclaiming organic waste. This hits two levels one we have less weight in trash pick up which saves money on our budget and second we can produce our own soil, saving tax payers money twice. I apologize for the brief comments. This is a fast pace to prove my worth to be a Councillor for Ward 4, and many more items to answer and conquer.