Wayland Energy Committee votes 4-0 to back Talbot Mills Dam removal

WAYLAND — September 13, 2023 — Wayland Energy and Climate Committee votes 4-0 to back removal of Billerica's Talbot Mills Dam. The motion, brought by member Tom Sciacca, asks the Select Board to authorize Town Manager Michael McCall to issue a statement supporting demolition of the 1828-era dam, which Sciacca said impounds water 25 miles upstream to Wayland High School and worsens local flooding. Chair Ellen Tohn, Sciacca, Harvey Michaels and Bill Huss voted yes; Billerica and immediate abutters have opposed removal, while OARS, the Sudbury Valley Trustees and the river stewardship council support it. Separately, the committee directed Sustainability Manager Abby Schuetz to seek the full $200,000 in the Green Communities fall round, mostly for DPW retro-commissioning by vendor B2Q, with leftover funds toward the Police Department's first fully electric vehicle. Harper warned against EV-charger bets on equipment "outmoded within five years."