HomeMy WebLinkAboutNantucket Energy Study Committee Minutes 12-01-2011_201402051107368859DRAFT Minutes for meeting on December 1, 2011, 5PM, 2 Fairgrounds RoadNext scheduled meeting: January 5, 2012, 5PM, 2 Fairgrounds Road
Called to order by Chair Anne Kuzspa at 5:02PM. In attendance were committee members Anne Kuzspa, H. Flint Ranney, Whitey Willauer, Peter Morrison, Chris Magee, Zachary Dusseau, John Stover, and Ken Blackshaw; absent was Ian Golding. Also present were the Town’s Alternative Energy Outreach Coordina-tor Lauren Sinatra, Selectman Rick Atherton, Arthur Gasbarro, Gregg Tivnan, Bob Patterson, Tobias Glid-den, Jason Graziadei from the Inquirer and Mirror, and seven WPI students.
The Agenda, and Minutes of the November 3 meeting were approved unanimously.
Chairman Anne led a discussion about how the committee might become more effective in carrying out our mission coordinating reports to the Board of Selectmen, recommending policies, and exploring re-newable energy resources. Whitey said that we have several critical milestones in the immediate future. Peter Morrison suggested that we consider adding more members to the committee to help spread the time load and gather our thoughts for next month’s meeting, as well as possibly meeting more often than once a month. Chris suggested that we meet in advance of any other meetings before boards or forums to develop strategy. Lauren wanted to stress that Wind and Energy Conservation/Efficiency should be our top priorities. There is a lot of important work to be made on the energy conservation/efficiency front on Nantucket, and we do not have a subgroup to assist her with current initiatives (signing residents up for energy audits, spring energy fair, promoting MassSave.com discounted bulbs, smart strips, etc). Chris and Lauren will discuss this further next week. She has created a website: http://www.Madaketwind.org.
Whitey reported that at the November 10 ZBA meeting legal representation surfaced for the opponents, suggesting that we may need the same. John Stover agreed and moved that NESC “approach the Board of Selectmen to engage legal counsel in the ZBA matter.” So voted. It was agreed to postpone the scheduled December 5 public forum until January, date to be determined, and to ask the ZBA for a continuance at their next meeting until we report to the BOS and decide if we need to ask for counsel. Available members are asked to attend the BOS meeting at 7pm on December 7 to see if we can obtain official support for the committee’s work, particularly for the Madaket wind turbine, and possibly to engage counsel. Mr. Gasbarro said that many complications have arisen in the airport solar project, including endangered species and habitat issues, which will prevent that project from moving forward any time soon. Zachary reported that the WWTF project will not happen this year.
Peter Morrison reported that the WPI students have reviewed all the proposed initiatives set forth in the Energy Plan, focused in on those initiatives that pertain directly to energy and conservation, evaluated the economic feasibility and noneconomic (read “political”) viability of those initiatives, prioritized them on the basis of multiple criteria of feasibility and viability, developed detailed estimates of costs and benefits for those initiatives with clear promise, and recommended the most promising initiatives and grouped them into (i) those worthy of immediate action and (ii) those worthy of further discussion prior to action. In other words: Good Work! They will report to the BOS on December 14.
Meeting adjourned at 6:32PM.
Respectfully submitted,DRAFTH. Flint Ranney, Secretary
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