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Falmouth Selectmen support removing wind turbines 

Credit:  By Scott A. Giordano | THE BULLETIN | January 30, 2013 | www.wickedlocal.com ~~

The Falmouth Board of Selectmen voted Jan. 30 to support removing the town’s industrial-sized turbines, Wind 1 and Wind 2 at the Falmouth Wastewater Treatment Facility, in hopes to unify a divided community.

“Typically government and good leaders think of the greater good of all. As a thoughtful person, I put all things into account. I have a fiduciary responsibility to this community, and not just a knee-jerk responsibility to a community. What we do … we have to do in a thoughtful way so this community can continue to be a viable community,” said Selectmen Chairman Kevin Murphy before the vote.

“The most important thing for this community, moving forward, is the fact that this is fracturing our community,” he added. “What I hope to accomplish is to bring this community back together, bring us so we can live to fight another day. … I will agree, and I will work, to be able to find a way to take down these turbines in a thoughtful process. My proposal would be that we put forth an article that would say we would go to the voters and [ask to] take down and dismantle the turbines.”

Selectmen also voted to request the Massachusetts Clean Energy Commission forgive the town’s debt for renewable energy credits, and to send a delegation of state officials to request help with their debt for the purchase of Wind 1. In addition, they voted to draft language for a warrant article that will be presented for a vote at the Selectmen’s Feb. 4 meeting – in time to have the issue go before voters in the town’s April 9 special election and then proceed to the town’s May general election.

According to analysis from Falmouth Town Manager Julian Suso, Murphy estimates removing the turbines would result in an average household tax increase of about $11 per year, unless they get financial assistance from the state. He urged selectmen to build consensus as they request specific help from the state. Selectwoman Mary Pat Flynn hopes to determine how much financial assistance the state will provide before voters are asked to decide the issue in May.

The selectmen’s decision follows completion of a 53-page report from the Wind Turbines Options Analysis Process (WTOP) and a Jan. 23 public meeting in which Falmouth residents spoke overwhelmingly in favor of removing the turbines rather than pursue other WTOP options. Other options included full operation of the turbines, or curtailed operating hours and having the town buy and re-sell the homes of impacted neighbors who say they have suffered from serious sleep disturbances, adverse health effects, and deprecating values of their homes.

At the Jan. 30 meeting, Falmouth Assistant Town Manager Heather Harper presented three “kitchen style” rough drafts of warrant articles to address the multitude of options before the selectmen and the fiscal impact of each for the town and its taxpayers. One warrant article would appropriate money for specific debt obligations. Another would appropriate money for mitigation factors, including the acquisition of real estate and potential installation of solar panels. Another would appropriate money to supplement the 2014 operating budget.

Harper estimates that it would cost the town about $400, 000 to dismantle the turbines with a best-case scenario of $600,000 for resale value. After she reviewed the options, selectmen shared their thoughts before voting to remove the turbines.

Reading from a prepared statement, Selectman David Braga said industrial-sized turbines don’t belong in residential neighborhoods.

“We have an issue that has gone on for too long and it has divided our town. I want to be very positive and move forward to rectify this issue,” Braga said. “I think it’s time that we start building trust with the residents of Falmouth over this issue.”

Selectman Doug Jones said he was inclined to agree with Braga but urged caution on how they proceed. Selectwoman Mary Pat Flynn suggested they further study the town manager’s analysis and perhaps come back for a follow-up discussion on another day, but then supported her fellow selectmen in voting to remove the turbines.

During their Jan. 30 discussion, Murphy acknowledged the town had a “calamity of errors” with the wind turbines. “I don’t think this is a depiction of wind power. I think we ended up with some bad machines,” he said. “I don’t think anyone intentionally did anything, thinking they were going to hurt or bother anybody.”

At the meeting’s start, Murphy thanked all the residents who participated in the open public comment period, which closed Jan. 28. By the meeting’s end, Selectman Jones said he was “very proud of the work we’ve done as a board to come to an agreement,” despite differences of opinion throughout the process.

“This has been a long process to get us to where we are right now,” Murphy added. “We’re in the last lap here.”

Look for follow-up information published in the Feb.6 edition of The Bulletin and for updates on Wicked Local Falmouth.

Source:  By Scott A. Giordano | THE BULLETIN | January 30, 2013 | www.wickedlocal.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

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