ROCHESTER — The town Facilities Manager Andrew Daniel appeared before the Board of Selectmen on March 2 to report on a list of possibilities for the $135,960 that Rochester was awarded after becoming a Green Community in January. 

The state designation provides municipalities who meet with certain criteria more support through grants to carry out projects that make them more sustainable.

Daniel said that the town’s largest building is Rochester Memorial School, but he split the projects over six buildings “so everyone can feel a bit of the savings,” he said. 

This was according to the advice of a planner from the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District, who said that the town would likely get more funding in year two or three, and that it should try to take care of many smaller projects first.  

The results of their brainstorming included LED lighting at the Council on Aging, Town Hall, Police Station and Town Barn, which would net $20,000 in annual savings. 

Other projects included envelope insulation at the library, pipe insulation in the police station and weatherstripping at Rochester Memorial School. Those projects would save about $5,000. 

A portion of the money will also be used to pay SRPEDD for further planning help, as Daniel said, “I don’t see where we would be able to find those hours,” to do the planning work.