Abbot tentatively approves agreement with First Wind

By Bill Pearson
Staff Writer

    ABBOT — First Wind is one step closer to completing its goal of connecting high-tension power transmission lines running from their Bingham area wind farm to the Central Maine Power substation in Parkman. The company received tentative approval on Feb. 24 from Abbot residents to enter into a community benefits agreement with First Wind affiliate, Blue Sky West, LLC.

    Residents gave their initial blessing to enter into an agreement with a 27-8 vote during a special town meeting. The vote directs the selectmen to seek a legal review of the agreement before coming to terms with BSW.
    Under the agreement, BSW would pay the town $20,000 a year for 20 years as a community involved with their Bingham Project. The company plans on placing utility poles within the town’s right-of-way along a one-mile section of the Gales Road. The power lines would continue into Parkman along the Crow Hill Road toward the CMP substation.
    Parkman reached an agreement with Blue Sky West during a Feb. 2 special town meeting. As Blue Sky did with Parkman, the company will pay Abbot’s attorney to review the six-page document. Residents defeated an amended motion to table the article until April. Some opponents favored postponing the vote until the document was first reviewed by a lawyer. These residents had concerns that there wasn’t enough information available about potential health hazards associated with power lines located near dwellings.
    The voters rejected tabling the article, 19-16. The voters later approved an amendment to the original motion requiring a legal review of the document prior to the selectmen entering into the agreement.
    “We have all these questions concerning this proposal. Wouldn’t it be prudent to first have it reviewed by an attorney before bringing it before the town?” said Gales Road resident Tom Ronco. “Why would we vote on something, only to have to vote on it again after a legal review?”
    Other residents believed the town was rushing into an agreement. Town Treasurer Heather Weymouth-Pomerleau cautioned the initial financial gain wasn’t a lot after factoring in all the figures. She indicated $20,000 per year worked out to approximately five cents per week per property tax payer. She also estimated the transmission lines would create an additional $1 million to the town’s property value. This would generate an additional $12,000 per year in tax revenue. Weymouth-Pomerleau consulted with the town’s tax assessor who believed the local taxpayers wouldn’t see most of that money.
    “With the increase in property valuation, our share to the school and county would go up,” Weymouth-Pomerleau said. “I don’t think this is as good a financial deal as some people think. We would be better off in slowing down and thinking about how much this project is worth to us and maybe we could get a better deal.”
    The selectmen agreed the financial aspect of the proposal wouldn’t make a major impact on local taxpayers, but it would help the town pay for several projects. The board indicated the annual proceeds could pay for installing oven exhaust fans in the municipal building’s downstairs kitchen, paving the municipal driveway and playground improvements. The selectmen believed these projects would never be funded unless the town found an additional revenue source.
    “We never seem to have money for these types of projects. If we had an additional $20,000 these projects could probably get done,” said First Selectman Mickey Knowles.
    Some residents also challenged First Wind’s assertion that they didn’t need town approval to proceed with their project. David Fowler, First Wind’s New England project manager, told voters that the project only needed to be reviewed by the Army Corps of Engineers, state Department of Environmental Protection and receive pole permits from the local select board.
    Fowler had previously sent the board documentation about the state statute which gave his company the authority to place the poles within a town’s right-of-way.
    “I am fairly certain we have that authority. We do offer the town an opportunity to seek their own legal opinion and we will pay for that additional cost,” Fowler said. “This CBA is not something that we are required to do. We are required to compensate the communities with windmills, but we believe it’s important to compensate all communities involved with this process.”