logo
Article

Sheffield Selectmen Nix UPC's Proposal

The Caledonian-Record (VT)|Jeanne Miles, Staff Writer|January 5, 2006
VermontGeneral

SHEFFIELD VERMONT After reviewing a written preliminary proposal from UPC Vermont Wind behind closed doors, selectmen rejected it Wednesday night.


Town Clerk Kathy Newland said there were a number of reasons the proposal was being sent back.

"This is not only about money, but also about the terms of the contract," Newland said after the meeting. "There are a number of factors."

Residents have expressed concerns about noise, roads, drainage, maintenance and liability issues since UPC announced plans to put up 20 398-foot wind turbines between Hardscrabble Mountain and Libby Hill in October. Six more turbines are slated for neighboring Sutton. UPC has said the project would bring tax revenue into the town of about 730 people. It has been a contentious issue, pitting neighbor against neighbor.

In a nonbinding vote Dec. 1, residents voted 120 to 93 in favor of the project.

Details …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]
Town Clerk Kathy Newland said there were a number of reasons the proposal was being sent back.

"This is not only about money, but also about the terms of the contract," Newland said after the meeting. "There are a number of factors."

Residents have expressed concerns about noise, roads, drainage, maintenance and liability issues since UPC announced plans to put up 20 398-foot wind turbines between Hardscrabble Mountain and Libby Hill in October. Six more turbines are slated for neighboring Sutton. UPC has said the project would bring tax revenue into the town of about 730 people. It has been a contentious issue, pitting neighbor against neighbor.

In a nonbinding vote Dec. 1, residents voted 120 to 93 in favor of the project.

Details of the proposal were not made public. Newland said Vermont Secretary of State Deb Markowitz told her it would put both sides at a disadvantage by making details public at this time.

The board also named Al Robertson, who was invited to sit in on the closed session, as the town's engineering adviser. A retired engineer, Robertson said he will be working for free. A lawyer, hired by the town, however, will not.

Richard Saudek, former commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Service and former chairman of the Vermont Public Service Board, was hired by the town to represent its interests in dealing with the wind developer. UPC agreed to kick in $4,000 to pay for Saudek's services since the town has no money in its budget for these legal fees. That money has been spent, Chairman Max Aldrich said Wednesday night. An estimate for Saudek's legal advice for the next two months comes to about $10,000, Aldrich said.

Aldrich said he has asked UPC to continue to help with the cost but has not had a response yet. "It's a financial burden," Newland said. "But we need legal advice."

Robertson said the town needs to find a way to pay for a lawyer in order to protect the town's best interests. "We are going to need a lawyer whether we want one or not," Robertson said. What UPC gave the board was a start, he said, but they have a long way to go. "We're sending them a message that they need to get serious about our concerns," he added.

Aldrich said the board will be meeting with Saudek and representatives of UPC next month. That discussion will also be held in private.

Three residents attended Wednesday night's meeting and left quietly when the board voted to go into executive session.

Source:http://www.caledonianrecord.c…

Share this post
Follow Us
RSS:XMLAtomJSON
Donate
Donate
Stay Updated

We respect your privacy and never share your contact information. | LEGAL NOTICES

Contact Us

WindAction.org
Lisa Linowes, Executive Director
phone: 603.838.6588

Email contact

General Copyright Statement: Most of the sourced material posted to WindAction.org is posted according to the Fair Use doctrine of copyright law for non-commercial news reporting, education and discussion purposes. Some articles we only show excerpts, and provide links to the original published material. Any article will be removed by request from copyright owner, please send takedown requests to: info@windaction.org

© 2024 INDUSTRIAL WIND ACTION GROUP CORP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WEBSITE GENEROUSLY DONATED BY PARKERHILL TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION