JACKSON --Two weeks ago, Jackson selectmen voted to extend a six-month moratorium on issuing permits for industrial wind developments, but the vote was nullified when town officials found that a public hearing on the issue was required.

On June 30, the board convened a pro forma public hearing and made the extension official. Selectors Cynthia Ludden and John Work voted in favor of extending the moratorium, while David Greeley recused himself based on a conflict of interest.

Work had been on the fence at the time of the first vote, but he introduced the matter at hand as though it was a done deal. Work told the 30 residents crammed into the lobby of the tiny Jackson Town Office that the town had consulted with the Maine Municipal Association and had been advised that a public hearing should be held before a final vote.

"Hopefully it will be short and sweet," he said. "We'll vote to extend the moratorium and that will be that." Cheers and applause immediately came from the crowd and the board performed a repeat of the original vote, extending the moratorium for 180 days, effective July 7.

"Glad you all came," joked Ludden at the conclusion of the meeting, which lasted, in total, roughly one minute.

The moratorium on wind development was first enacted Jan. 6 in response to strong interest from Massachusetts-based Citizens Energy Corp. and Competitive Energy Services of Portland. More recently, Ra Power Solutions, a Maine-based company focused on alternative and renewable energy, expressed interest in doing business in Jackson.

The attraction for wind developers is a ridge running from Mt. Harris in Dixmont at the northern end to Files Hill in Thorndike and passing through the northwest corner of Jackson. At the time of the moratorium, both Citizens Energy and CES had secured lease agreements with landowners in the three towns for multiple noncontiguous sites, forming what came to be referred to as a "checkerboard" pattern of proposed wind turbine locations spanning the three towns.

The purpose of the moratorium has been to give the planning board and wind power subcommittee time to draft an ordinance specific to wind development.

Subcommittee member David McDaniel referred to the first of a series of recommendations made by the group stating that the purpose of the ordinance is "to first protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Jackson ..."

McDaniel said a sample wind power ordinance from the state, by contrast, lists the primary goal as promoting new wind power developments.

"The companies, they have all the power," he said. "The people need the protection."

Planning board alternate Debbie Ludden expressed her gratitude for the extension. "At least now we have some time to deliberate without someone bringing in an application," she said.