Falmouth Wind Turbines NO "Request For Proposal"

On January 15, 2019, the Falmouth Select Board requested the town attorney to prepare a Request For Proposal to move both Falmouth town-owned wind turbines out of town. The turbines have been shut down by the courts since June of 2017.

Falmouth bylaws require the turbines be taken down after 12 months of no operation. Another regulation being ignored over what has been described to Congress as a wind turbine disaster and screw up by Governor Charlie Baker.

Select Board members say it's not clear if the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust would forgive the remainder of that debt on Falmouth Wind II but the June 2009 Falmouth Special Town Meeting vote shows the town owes the money.

The town borrowed $4,865,000 from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust to construct its wind turbine number 2.

The loan agreement brokered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the Falmouth Select Board states the town would not owe principal or interest as long as Wind 2 remains operational.

Falmouth residents should be aware that the Falmouth Select Board presented 3 articles to a Special Town Meeting in June of 2009 in which Town Meeting voted yes to all three articles.

Article 1- to accept the approximately 5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) stimulus funds from the federal government.

Article 2 - to take out a loan for Falmouth Wind 2 ( Blue Piece of Paper Video) Allowed Select Board to take MassDEP state loan agreement.

Article 3 was to vote to accept Article 1 and 2.

Town code chapter 49 section 2 shows that prior to any Special Town Meeting the meeting members shall have a published copy of the Articles.

At the June 2009, Special Town Meeting members were told they should have picked up a "Blue Piece of Paper" when they came in. Many members did not have the paper at the time of the vote in which case more papers were handed out with the old Article 2 for the loan and on the other side the new Article 2 for the vote on the 5 million dollar loan on Falmouth Wind II.

Town Meeting Members were given around 3 minutes during the meeting to read the Blue Piece of Paper and then voted yes to accept the 5 million dollar loan.

The bottom line here is the June 2009 Town Meeting Members voted for a five million dollar loan as seen at around the 41-minute mark in the video of that town meeting.

See Article 2 in video. "BLUE PIECE OF PAPER HAND OUT"