Citizen Petition Threatens Deerfield's $200,000 Green Communities Grant at Town Meeting

DEERFIELD — April 14, 2026 — Deerfield's Energy Conservation Committee warned Tuesday that a citizen's petition on the May 11 town meeting warrant could cost the town roughly $200,000 in pending state grant money. The petition, submitted by resident Matthew Ainsworth with the required 10 signatures, would direct Deerfield to abandon its stretch energy code and return to the state's base building code, which committee members said would strip the town of its Green Communities designation and jeopardize a recently filed grant application for a new building management system at Frontier Regional School. Chair David Gilbert Keith framed the financial argument for voters directly: "It's going to be $200,000 to you instead of free." Members also noted that the base code is itself scheduled for an imminent state revision, making any rollback short-lived. The committee confirmed the grant application has been submitted, with town staff members Alex and Allison credited for the filing, and set its next meeting for May 21 to assess results after town meeting concludes.