Marion selectmen approve Great Hill for possible wind turbine
A regular meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen was called to order in the Marion Town House on Tuesday, September 2 at 7:00 pm by Chairman Jonathan Henry. Also present were Selectman Roger Blanchette, Selectman Stephen Cushing, Town Administrator Paul Dawson and Secretary Helene Craver.
The board first approved the minutes of the August 19 meeting, and then met with Leonard Cook at 7:05 pm to discuss the town possibly adopting the Community Rating System.
“Mr. Cook is here tonight to discuss the Community Rating System (CRS), which could realize savings to the town itself and its residents,” Mr. Dawson said, noting it would impact insurance rate premiums for both the town and individual residents.
“The Community Rating System was established by FEMA in 1994 to help communities lower their NFIP premiums,” Mr. Cook said. “A lot of it is record-keeping … but it’s a way for everyone to gain a discount on the NFIP premiums. I couldn’t do it for Marion, because I am indirectly connected with one of the businesses.”
Mr. Cook said the typical savings could be anywhere from $400 to $800 annually, depending on a property’s proximity to the water and if they are located within the flood zones established by FEMA.
In order to enroll in the CRS program, Mr. Cook said the town needs to file an application with FEMA and commit to four areas of activities including: public information; mapping and regulations; flood damage reduction; and flood preparedness.
“I think this is very timely and it’s sort of a no-brainer to do, in my mind, and I think it will benefit the town and the taxpayers by dropping flood insurance rates across-the-board,” said Building Commissioner Richard Marx.
With that, the board unanimously voted to adopt the Community Rating System (CRS) for the Town of Marion, with Building Commissioner Marx serving as point person.
At 7:15 pm the board met with members of the Alternative Energy Committee to discuss a proposal to erect a MET Tower on Great Hill in Marion.
“As you know we have had an initiative underway with a MET Tower at ORR High School,” said committee member David Pierce. “It was much to our chagrin that the wind speeds there averaged just a little over 11 miles per hour. In order to qualify for a wind turbine, it needs to be at least 14 miles per hour at that elevation.”
Working with the Stone family of Marion, who own the Great Hill property, the committee is now looking to erect a MET Tower at that location to gather similar data and determine the viability of a wind turbine on that site.
“The purpose of a MET Tower is simply to discover what our wind resources are, and if there’s cause to put a wind turbine at a given location,” said committee member Bill Saltonstall. “We think Great Hill is a perfect location — probably better than the one at the high school — and it will take about a year for us to gather data to make that determination.”
“My feeling is as fuel prices continue to spike, it has to make more sense to look at all sites, including ORR,” Mr. Pierce said. “We would be looking at possibly two wind turbines at Great Hill.”
The board unanimously authorized the Town Administrator to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to install the MET Tower at Great Hill as proposed.
Under Action Items, the board considered the purchase of a 1.3-acre parcel of land currently owned by the Hermitage Trust for a price not to exceed $225,000. This parcel is adjacent to the existing Little Neck Village property and would be used for the planned expansion and renovation of the housing complex. The actual purchase would require approval at the Special Town Meeting scheduled for later this month.
“It is being purchased by the Town of Marion and not the Marion Affordable Housing Trust, because it is classified as forestry land,” Mr. Dawson noted. “That would have to be resolved at Town Meeting … and details are still being negotiated between the sellers and Town Counsel.”
On a related matter, Mr. Dawson noted that E.A. Fish has filed an application with the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to waive the 30-day review period for the Little Neck Village project in order to be able to meet the October 30 application deadline for funding.
“It might be good to take a vote tonight and have the chairman sign a letter to DHCD in support of the project,” Mr. Dawson added, to which the board unanimously concurred.
The board also voted to reappoint the following members to the Marion Fireworks Committee, as per a recommendation from current Chairman Reg Foster: Rick Barnes, Jack Beck, Eric Coble, Chris Collings, Sis Durkee, Gerry Thornell, Anthony Ucci and Rob Dolan. Mr. Foster, himself, will not seek reappointment and Chris Collings has agreed to assume the chairmanship in his absence.
Mr. Dawson next noted the board needs to designate a handicapped parking space on Water Street for the Beverly Yacht Club. This request has been sanctioned by Police Chief Lincoln Miller. The board approved the designation as requested.
Under the Town Administrator’s report, Mr. Dawson first provided the board with an update on the Marion Police Station Building project. “Due to a technical error, we are rebidding the Police Station Owner’s Project Manager,” he said. “The reason for the rebid is the solicitation was not posted in the state’s Central Register, which is a requirement. It is being rebid as we speak.”
As for the ongoing Village Loop sewer project, Mr. Dawson noted they will resume work this month, but the contractor has been advised to not work during the state primary election on Tuesday, September 16. “We did have a preconstruction meeting on August 15,” Mr. Dawson said. “We were advised that the communication between the town, the DPW and the contractor has been quite good … and the problems have been extremely minimal.”
Mr. Dawson noted a leak was sprung near the intersection of Park Street and Main Street and they are working this week to rectify that problem.
Lastly, Mr. Dawson reported that he attended the Annual Town Party held on Sunday night, August 31 on the block in front of the Marion Town House. “They did just a wonderful job and everyone had an enjoyable evening,” Mr. Dawson said. “A tip of the hat to the VFW and all the volunteers.”
In other matters, the board received:
* A copy of a letter from the Buzzards Bay Regatta (BBR) to Harbormaster Michael Cormier regarding some problems with this past year’s BBR event. Both parties have agreed to make improvements in next year’s race.
* A letter from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) advising that the Town of Marion’s Affordable Housing Plan is set to expire on February 23, 2010. As such, the town needs to begin working toward revising and updating their plan before that date.
* Notification from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) regarding the ongoing work being done on Bird Island in Marion to restore the endangered tern habitat in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The estimated cost of the project — or $3.775 million — is to be borne by both federal and state agencies.
“This is a project that could run into some serious money,” Chairman Henry noted.
“The crux of this letter is apparently the project has risen in their list of priorities,” Mr. Dawson said. “This will be of benefit to the Town of Marion as this is town-owned property.”
There being no further matters to discuss in Open Session, the board voted to go into Executive Session at 8:17 pm in order to discuss collective bargaining issues and would thereafter adjourn for the evening.
By Kenneth J. Souza
2 September 2008
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