By Scott MacKeen
Staff Writer
5/14/09
Town Meeting finished work May 7 by accepting the groundwork for the town to build wind turbines.
By a nearly unanimous vote, Town Meeting members accepted an article to allow the construction of up to two turbines.
The turbines would be built on the old landfill, near Granite Links Golf Club in the Quarry Hills area.
Town leaders were unanimous in urging support of the measure, which could cover the town’s entire annual energy bill.
“This is the wave of the future. We think it’s going to be a huge savings,” said John Shields, chairman of the Selectmen.
The town has a state grant to conduct a feasibility study of the land, which a state agency has deemed one of the most suitable spots in the state to build turbines.
Richard Kleiman, who chairs the town’s Wind Energy Committee, said building turbines would be a “great source of pride to the community.”
“This is a great opportunity for us,” he said.
Kleiman is an independent environmental consultant who oversaw a similar wind project for Cape Cod.
The turbines would cost around $4 million apiece to install, and each would bring in between $600,000 and $900,000 annually in savings, according to a report Kleiman gave Town Meeting.
Officials are seeking grants and stimulus money to cover some of the costs. For between three and seven years, the town would also use a portion of the savings to pay back those costs, which would include bonding if the project doesn’t receive full federal funding, Kleiman said.
There would also be $20,000 per-year costs apiece to maintain each turbine, which are built to last up to 25 years.
“There have been questions whether there’s a scenario where the town would have to pay out of pocket. The answer is no,” Kleiman said.
According to the zoning, the turbines would have to be built 1,200 feet away from the nearest dwelling, 1,100 feet from the nearest state highway and 1,150 feet from the nearest public road. They would also have to be set back at least 100 feet from the golf course.
Kleiman said those distances would eliminate much of the noise and visibility. “We’re way beyond the distance that would create a nuisance,” he said.
With the zoning approved, the proposal will go to the Planning Board for a site-review process. The project needs a special permit from the board.
Following the board’s approval, Kleiman said, he would bring a financing plan to the Warrant Committee and Town Meeting, which must approve bonding.
Kleiman said part of his goal is to “have the appropriate amount of public outreach” over that time. “This is not a rush-it-through kind of thing,” he said.
The wind committee will hold another public hearing later in May to show photo simulations of how the turbines would look from various points in town.
However, at least two Town Meeting members were against placing the turbines in town.
Joseph Cunningham, a Precinct 10 member, said it would be “lunacy” to think they wouldn’t be noticeable.
“The standards here are very loose,” he said.
Bob Mason, of Precinct 8, was also against moving forward with the plan. “Do I want it there? No,” he said. “I think there should be more study first.”
But Shields said the zoning is only the “framework” of the plan. More study will be required through the permitting and planning-review process, he said.
“All of these questions can be answered as time goes on,” Shields said.
Mosquito Debate
Meanwhile, Town Meeting was against the town withdrawing from the Norfolk County Mosquito Control Project.
The proposal was included by a 10-citizen petition in the warrant.
Marjorie Jeffries, the article’s main proponent, said it isn’t worth the cost to be in the program. The town spends approximately $67,000 annually to stay in the project.
“That money could be used for a teacher,” said Jeffries. “Think of the thing you would rather use that money for. It’s not worth it.”
Jeffries asked Town Meeting to “consider the risk factor” in acquiring mosquito-borne diseases like Triple E and West Nile Virus.
“Mosquito diseases are very rare. It’s a very improbable risk,” she said.
Others said the larvicide sprayings don’t happen frequently enough to make a difference.
“It’s one spray per spring and that’s it. They don’t even hit all the wetlands in town,” said Michael Vhay, the article’s main spokesman.
Jeffries said the town could certify its own workers to do the spraying more cheaply.
But others thought the risk of acquiring mosquito-borne diseases is a real threat and the agency should continue the sprayings.
John Smith, director of the NCMCP, said mosquito control has “come a long way” since he started work 29 years ago.
“I think we’ve come up with a good program. We have very responsible people,” he said.
Town Meeting member Steve Morash was also opposed to withdrawing from the county project.
“We don’t know where the next public health threat will come. It could be mosquito-borne,” he said.
John Cronin, a longtime town official, pointed out that the town previously withdrew from county mosquito sprayings from 1981 and 2000. He said he would be in favor of doing so again.
“Over 19 years, that would have been $1 million we would have spent” to remain in the NCMCP, he said.
However, the town’s health agents were opposed to the idea.
Michael Blanchard, the town’s health director, said that if the town withdrew from the project it would be the only community in several counties to do so.
The measure was ultimately defeated by Town Meeting vote, meaning the town will stay in the NCMCP.
Annual Appropriations
Town Meeting also voted the following items
May 7:
• Voted to refer a proposal to rezone Temple Shalom back to the Planning Board for further study. The petitioners of the article supported that position.
• Appropriated $698,307 for the support of the Blue Hills Regional Technical School.
• Appropriated $38,605 from bond premiums from the school building project and $4,075,856, to be raised from the tax levy, to pay interest and maturing debts. The town paid $3.4 million for that purpose in FY 09.
• Appropriated $1,000, to be raised from the tax levy, to the Stabilization Fund. The Warrant Committee had originally recommended $50,000 be appropriated into the “rainy day” fund, but prior to the meeting voted to reduce that number to $1,000. Town Meeting appropriated the remaining $49,000 as a set-aside in anticipation of midyear cuts to state aid.
• Appropriated $398,380, to be raised from the tax levy, into the Reserve Fund, for unforeseen expenditures.
• Appropriated $4,289 from the Insurance Recovery Account to pay unpaid police and fire bills.
• Voted no appropriation be made into the Capital Stabilization Fund.
• Voted to continue funding revolving accounts for school building inspections, senior center maintenance, Board of Health flu and pneumonia vaccinations, new library books and library maintenance, and parks maintenance.
• Authorized the Board of Cemetery Trustees to establish a revolving account of $60,000 to purchase, store and install grave liners.
• Authorized the town to establish an affordable housing trust fund for the benefit of low and moderate income households. The trust will be a five-member board appointed by the Selectmen to receive donations outside of the operating budget and expend funds without going back to Town Meeting. Legislation signed by the governor in 2005 provides guidelines on what such trusts can do.
• Amended the zoning bylaws to allow the building commissioner to issue an occupancy permit to a business changing hands where the proposed use is the same or substantially similar to the prior use. Last year, Town Meeting began to require a special permit from the Board of Appeals.
• Amended the zoning bylaws to say retaining walls less than 5 feet high shall not be deemed structures.
• Voted to permit an increase in dependency allowance payable to surviving children of retirees who have died as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty so that it is equal to the amount paid to children of retirees injured who survive. Previously, the two were paid under separate provisions.
• Authorized school and town officials to enter discussions to consolidate administrative functions. Contingent upon an agreement between the School Committee and a future Town Meeting, a consolidated facilities department could be formed to oversee maintenance and other functions.