Falmouth Wind Turbine II Five Million ARRA Funds Confusion Reigns Supreme

Falmouth Special Town Meeting Funding Falmouth Wind Turbine II

Apparently the Falmouth Wind II Loan/ Grant was negotiated between the Town of Falmouth and the following state agencies, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Commonwealth’s Water Pollution Abatement Trust? Who knew ?

Excerpts From Falmouth Special Town Meeting Funding Falmouth Wind Turbine II June 2009

June 29, 2009
Vol. One 33 pages
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTSTOWN OF FALMOUTH
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
Monday, June 29, 2009
7:00 p.m.

Article 2

Appropriate $5 million to design and build renewable energy generating systems
So, for our opening presentation for Article 1, Mr. Whritenour.

MR. WHRITENOUR: ---

"Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you very much on behalf of the Board of Selectmen, here, for coming out on such a hot summer night.

It’s very irregular.

The reason that we’re here this evening is we had to meet in order to comply with a recently-announced deadline from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the placement of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds to support the town’s renewable energy projects.

This is the federal stimulus money that you’ve heard so much.

The Town of Falmouth has from the start put in many projects for federal stimulus funding. The ones that have reached the top level and are currently recommended by the Commonwealth for funding are the renewable energy, the project that we already last Town Meeting voted for the wind turbine, and we hope to do a second."

Article 3

Provide funding for Articles 1 and 2

Page 25 :

CHAIRMAN ANDERSON:

"Mr. Moderator, I move that the Town vote to appropriate the sum of $5 million for the purpose of designing and installing wind or solar powered photovoltaic energy facilities at the Wastewater Treatment Facility or at the Long Pond Pumping Station, or at either or both of them, and further that the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, is authorized to borrow said sum under the provisions of General Law Chapter 44, paragraph 7, sub 3b, or any other enabling authority, including borrowing from the Commonwealth’s Water Pollution Abatement Trust, the so-called state Revolving Fund, and to issue bonds and notes of the Town therefore, and further to authorize the Board of Selectmen to enter into any agreements and to execute any and all documents it deems advantageous on behalf of the Town for partial or full reimbursement of the costs associated therewith, or forgiveness of indebtedness incurred therefore, and to apply for and accept grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, said sums to be expended under the jurisdiction of the Board of Selectmen for the purposes of Article 2."

June 29, 2009 Minutes - Town of Falmouth
www.falmouthmass.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/2606

www.falmouthmass.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/2606
falmouthmass.us

Note #

In 2012 the Consensus Building Institute (CBI) held negotiations for one year with the wind turbine neighbors

The purpose of the Falmouth Wind Turbine Option Analysis Process (WTOP) was to engage in an open, transparent, and collaborative exploration of the range of options for the long-term future of the Town’s two Wind Turbines – Wind I and Wind II.

The Consensus Building Institute CBI was paid just under $139,000.00, for an assessment; designing and convening the process; preparing for, traveling to, facilitating and documenting 24 meetings (including all expenses); and writing and revising a final report, over the course of 13 months.

Over the course of one year the Falmouth Wind Turbine Option Analysis Process (WTOP) meetings were video taped and shown on local Falmouth Community Television so the public would have equal access to the process. What the Falmouth public does not know is the September 12, 2012 video tape meeting was never shown on Falmouth Community TV.

The 9/12/2012 meeting was taped by Consensus Building Institute (CBI) as part of the contract to be open to the public .

The 9/12/2012 video made reference to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funds used to build Falmouth Wind II.

The public has never been informed that the video is missing and never shown on Falmouth CATV.

The question on September 12, 2012 was : Is the 5 million ARRA stimulus funds a loan or a grant ?

Now the taxpayers are going to get the answer ...........