FARMINGTON – An issue which provoked significant debate prior to the town meeting passed swiftly Monday evening, with residents approving a police department budget recommended by selectmen.
Voters approved the $1.148 million budget recommended by the selectmen with a hand count, after moderator Paul Mills was left in doubt by the outcome of a verbal vote, with a tabulated vote of 81 in favor and 21 opposed.
There was no discussion about the approved police budget, which was $50,000 less than the one recommended by the budget committee. That budget included $75,000 to build a three-bay garage at the new Richard Caton III Memorial Police Station, encompassing the cost of site work, pouring a slab, building materials and a heating system.
Instead, following the recommendation of the selectmen, the budget includes $25,000 to be placed in a fund to go toward a new garage.
Most budgetary articles passed equally quickly, setting a $4.65 million budget in place for the next fiscal year. The budget is $187,439 or 4.2 percent increase from the current fiscal year, generally representing an across-the-board 3 percent cost-of-living wage increase and an expected jump in fuel oil costs.
Non-town department requests took up the bulk of the roughly 2 hours residents spent on the budget. Voters declined to fulfill a funding request of $2,500 by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce , once again following a recommendation made by the board of selectmen rather than the budget committee. Those speaking against funding the chamber did so for a variety of reasons: concern about state and/or national chamber organizations using funds for lobbying purposes, concerns about the future of the local chamber and whether taxpaying funds should go to outside agencies were among the concerns raised.
Similar debates unfolded about four other articles; funding requests by the American Red Cross, Safe Voices and two snowmobile clubs. The red cross requested $2,000.
“If you have problems at home, a fire, they’re there,” Fred O. Smith, a budget committee member said, urging support for the article.
While saying he had the “utmost respect” for the work of the Red Cross, Selectman Drew Hufnagel said he didn’t support funding the agency with tax money.
“We should not be forcing taxpayers to provide funds for an organization they may not feel the same about,” Hufnagel said.
Residents eventually voted to raise and appropriate $2,000 for the Red Cross.
The next article, whether to raise and appropriate $5,000 for Safe Voices, provoked a similar discussion. The agency, formerly known as the Abused Women’s Advocacy Project, was fully funded at $5,000 after Executive Director Jane Morrison presented residents with information regarding clients and services.
A debate about raising and appropriating $1,000 for a pair of local snowmobile clubs, typically a mainstay on many local town meeting warrants, drew some debate about the role of snowmobiles and snowmobile clubs in Farmington. In the end, residents decided to appropriate funds to the clubs.
It was after 9 p.m. before residents began to discuss the proposed wind power performance standard, which was eventually approved. The addition to the zoning ordinance sets in place a permitting procedure for wind projects, regulating setbacks, sound emissions, making provisions for radio signal disturbance and lighting and shadow flicker effect. As the ordinance currently reads, turbines would be required to not exceed a sound pressure level of 60 decibels, with the reading taken from the nearest property line.
Some residents argued that 60 dB was not restrictive enough. Resident Burt Knapp said that while he supported the idea of controlling wind power development locally, he did not support passing the ordinance as written. Knapp spoke to the visual or audible impact of the turbines, saying the ordinance did not provide adequate setbacks.
“We’re not talking about loud noise,” he said at one point. “We’re talking about a persistent, repetitive type of noise.”
Planning board member Tom Eastler and Chair Clayton King countered the board had been working on the performance standards for 18 months and had consulted with a variety of experts in drafting the addition. At the moment, Eastler noted, there was no local wind power regulation.
“What’s the bottom line here? We have no ordinance,” Eastler said, going on to note that “it’s better to have standards, than no standards.”
Residents approved the addition by a significant margin.
Residents also approved having the town apply for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant for the Brookside Village project. The grant would fund infrastructure improvements, including paved and gravel roads, water and sewer lines and street lights for the first component of the Willow Springs project: a 32-unit apartment building proposed for a lot off the Fairbanks Road.
Only a small number of residents voted in the uncontested elections earlier that day; Selectman Ryan Morgan and Mt. Blue Regional School District school board Director Iris Silverstein were both reelected to three-year terms with 51 votes apiece.
One can only wonder; who were the experts the board members drafting the wind ordinance consulted with in regards to the sound levels of industrial wind and their proximity to dwellings? 60 dba smacks of wind industry experts advising the board members and the board members not doing their homework.
Sound modeling maps show 40 dba at one mile from turbine.
60 dba is 18 over the new Maine sound ruling recently passed in legislature. @ 42 dba
Sound modeling is not accurate in reality.
Complaints are made over 2 miles away.
There were two false statements made at the meeting by proponents of the ordinance.
Many Mars Hill residents have been vocally opposed to area wind projects. The Bangor Daily News has several articles/interviews/photos on the subject. Fred Smith indicated that most in the area supported the project–yet it has been exceptionally controversial.
Tom Eastler suggested that Farmington could use the power locally. This is simply not the case. Maine is part of the grid system–and we already overproduce electricity. The power will be used out of state.
Personally I felt bad for the local people concerned about their property values. We are all concerned about taxes–wind power is heavily subsidized by the State and Federal government. The roughly 3 million $$ each windmill costs is ALREADY being funded chiefly through our tax dollars.
Hopefully people will educate themselves about all areas of the argument. Down East Magazine has an excellent article in the 3/2011 issue. According to the article to be on target for wind development Maine will be adding 289 new mills each year for the next several years. The ONLY way to stop the takeover is to be vocal and educated.
Only a tiny portion of Farmington’s citizenry voted last night. Please let your voice be heard.
Anyone that knows about wind power knows that its not as good as its cracked up to be with its high maintenance cost, its not as self contained as a solar project would be, like our fire station and police station should have solar panels.
The wind power was the most debated subject. WOW!!! I think everybody was getting tired. Other long Articles were 23rd-27th. My first town meeting. I’M gonna do some “homework next year.
It’s so odd that a 60 dba was set when the state has a 42 dba and that is considered by many to still be too high. I have to agree with Penny that it sounds like an ordinance written by a wind company. Given the size of the proposed turbines are relatively small compared to those going up on area mountains, perhaps it won’t be as much of an issue for nearby neighbors. Good luck with that.
Article 25 & 26. Let see we all register our vehicles, correct. A portion of those fees are to be used to maintain the roads we drive our vehicles on, correct. Roads are establish thru local & state officials. Snowmobile & ATV enthusiast work together in partnership to develope trails to connect towns. A recreational revenue that is welcome by State, Bed & Breakfast, convience stores, gas pumps and resturants. Our local Clubs, Farmington, New Sharon and Industry work together to keep Farmington connected to north, south, west and east trail system. Club members pay dues to their clubs and register the vehicle. Our work is all volunteered. Our equipement, operating expenses, insurances and taxes are paid by Grants. The Grant funds are derived by the registration fees. We have strict guideline put forth by the States Parks and Recreation Dept. We are monitored & audited each season. Just a think about this the next time you register your vehicle. Would you want those dollars used somewhere else other then the road you ride on?? If we did not have organized trails the rebel rider would just ride where he or she pleases!!
Our tax dollars subsidize wind power which couldn’t begin to survive without them. Now we are applying for a grant to subsidize a couple rich guys.(No, Virginia, grants don’t come from the “grant fairy”). Will people ever get it?