Charlton rejects bid to rescind stretch energy code after public arguments over costs and grants

Voters at the Town of Charlton Annual Meeting on May 18, 2026 rejected a citizen petition to rescind the town’s Stretch Energy Code, adopted in 2016. The motion to rescind failed 41 yes to 71 no following extended public comment and testimony from residents and municipal officials.

Petitioner Robert (Rob) Lemanski framed the vote as an objection to what he described as regulatory overreach and rising building costs. He told the town that the stretch code’s requirements — including the need for a HERS rater in some projects — add cost and complexity: “The HERS man…usually does a pretty good job, by the way, for $2,000,” Lemanski said, and argued those requirements make housing “more costly.” He also moved an amendment to correct the petition’s date, which the assembly approved before returning to the main motion.

Opponents emphasized both the town’s status as a stretch-code community and the financial benefits it produced. Nancy Tully, who said she researched adoption rates, noted that over 270 Massachusetts cities and towns had opted into the stretch code and that staying a stretch community made Charlton eligible for grant funding. “Our latest grant was for over $219,000 and was earmarked to fund energy efficiency measures,” she said, urging members to consider those benefits before rescinding.

Curtis Meskis, the town building commissioner, addressed specific technical points: “There is no prohibition in either code, current or proposed, prohibiting us from using fossil fuels,” he said, and explained differences in performance standards between the base and stretch codes (referring to insulation and HERS requirements). Several local builders and residents also spoke for and against the petition, raising concerns about upfront costs, ventilation and long-term efficiency.

After public comment the moderator called the question. Voters rejected the petition to rescind the stretch energy code, so Charlton will retain its stretch-code status and remain eligible for related energy grants.