Resident urges clearer ROI reporting after Westborough’s Fales solar and geothermal investment

Joe Considine told the Advisory Finance Committee that the town’s past investment in solar panels and geothermal heating at Fales has not been presented to voters in a fully transparent way and urged the committee to require multi‑horizon ROI reporting for future green projects. “By presenting only the 50‑year NPV and not showing break‑even points or shorter horizons, the public is being misled,” Considine said, reading from a handout he provided to members.

Considine said he recalculated numbers from a spreadsheet he received and found the project’s break‑even point around 2048, about 27 years after the project started, and that the investment shows a negative net present value for roughly the first 40 years. He asked that future public presentations include NPV or ROI calculations over multiple periods (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 years) so voters can see shorter‑term fiscal impacts as well as long‑term benefits.

Considine also linked the affordability concerns to local impacts, saying food pantry usage is up 85% from last year and noting the town’s median taxes are higher than neighboring communities. He directly asked that “Mr. Durrett publicly retract his statement” (an accusation made in Considine’s remarks). Committee leadership interrupted to keep the comment focused on future committee work rather than re‑litigating past exchanges.

Committee members asked technical questions about the spreadsheet, including which bond rate and capital‑cost assumptions were used (the spreadsheet lists a bond rate of 3.5%). Members requested the native Excel file to review formulas; Considine said he would forward the spreadsheet to committee staff within a day so members could verify assumptions and calculations.

What happens next: Considine’s request for more granular NPV reporting was received as an action item; committee members said staff or the committee could request the Excel model and consider recommending standardized reporting practices for future capital or green projects.