Josh Morse has dedicated nearly two decades to maintaining and improving our public amenities, and reports to enjoy it deeply. After serving time in the Navy, he began working for the City of Newton during the construction of the new Newton North High School. Since then, Josh has been responsible for numerous other initiatives in Newton, caring for shared spaces that often go unnoticed by many of us.
Morse’s job includes visiting construction sites as well as meeting with residents and committees. Because the buildings belong to us as a community, he believes the community must be deeply involved in its decision-making during the process. His workdays often stretch from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. “At any given night, literally Monday through Thursday, 52 weeks a year, there are meetings going on that either I have to be at or that I want to be at,” he told The Newton Beacon.
In addition to his commitment to community, his work is deeply intertwined with environmentalism in our area. Public buildings create much of Newton’s emissions. Maintaining and improving public buildings through processes such as air sealing, geothermal energy, ground source and electric heat pumps, and other technologies can steeply drive down greenhouse gas emissions. Taking on these kinds of projects pushes Newton closer to the goal of more sustainable living—and sets a positive example for other cities.
Morse recently evaluated all of Newton’s municipal buildings and helped the city add nearly 300 projects to its Capital Improvement Plan. On his watch, plans for the new Countryside and Franklin Elementary Schools include highly efficient geothermal systems to provide heating, cooling, and hot water. These schools—along with the Cooper Center for Active Living and the Horace Mann Elementary School extension—will all run on electric heat.
Newton’s recent exciting news is that the Cooper Center received a second-place award from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Embodied Carbon Reduction Challenge. The project also received a $30,000 award for its innovative use of wood in construction. It’s all part of a broader, proactive approach to infrastructure as Newton prepares for the impacts of climate change and population growth.
While Morse focuses on public spaces, he also shares suggestions for residents in Newton who are interested in energy conservation and environmental improvements for their homes. Because a significant portion of his job involves interacting with our community and learning how to effectively implement sustainable practices in buildings, he is well-informed on both community efforts and residential sustainability.
Morse makes himself and his office easily accessible to the public, encouraging community members to voice their support or their concerns. He encourages those interested in raising sustainability in the city to consider residential decarbonization and reducing energy consumption. This can be done through electric or ground source heat pumps, home air sealing, solar panel installation, hybrid energy sources, and more.
For Morse, our community is brought together by our shared goals and initiatives. Together, we’re not just maintaining buildings – we’re working for a more sustainable future.
By Amelia Newstadt is a college student and a summer intern for Green Newton.