In a losing cause, wind project opponent Don Nelson casts his vote Tuesday at Lowell Town Meeting. Behind him is his wife, Shirley. The oficial at the ballot box is Gaston Doyon. Photos by Chris Braithwaite
LOWELL — Voters here approved the proposed commercial wind project on Lowell Mountain Tuesday by a margin of three to one: 342 to 114.
The 456 ballots cast exceeded the turnout for Town Meeting itself by a substantial margin. Town Clerk Nanette Bonneau said roughly 230 absentee ballots had been requested, and about 80 new voters had registered during the campaign for and against the wind project, bringing the town checklist to just over 580.
While the issue was hotly contested in town, it didn’t draw a word of debate at Town Meeting. That was forestalled by an overwhelming majority at the well-attended meeting, when the first speaker to take the floor moved to end the discussion. The required two-thirds majority supported that motion on a voice vote, and the 145 voters present lined up to cast their votes by Australian ballot.
“We really needed to vote without any pressure at all from the selectmen or Green Mountain Power,” said Pati Austin-Kirk, who make the motion. She said she is absolutely opposed to the wind project, which Green Mountain Power said it would abandon if the vote went against it.
A new state law allows debate on questions that are on the Australian ballot, and people came to Tuesday’s meeting prepared to do just that. Among them were two representatives of Green Mountain Power, Trip Wileman, who owns most of the ridgeline on Lowell Mountain that would support the project, and citizens with strong feelings for and against the project.
But people seemed happy that they had been spared the argument.
“I did not expect that,” said Moderator Alden Warner, who had carefully laid out the rules for the discussion. “But hey, I’m pleased! I feel everybody had already made up their mind. This would bring up stuff that had already been heard a hundred times.”
“I think it went the best way possible,” Mr. Wileman said. “It seemed like everybody appreciated keeping things civil.”
Voters quickly used up the time they had saved arguing about wind power in a series of paper ballots that were required to elect two school board members and a variety of town officers.
Because a majority is required for election, it took two ballots to elect Kevin Hodgeman to a three-year term on the school board, over Laurie Pion
When she found out she couldn't vote at the Lowell Town Meeting, nine-year-old Halie Barrick lost interest in the proceedings and turned her attention to her substantial herd of horses.
and George Swanson.
It took two more ballots to elect Ms. Pion to a one-year term on the board, over Mr. Swanson and Kelly Backus.
However a seat on the North Country Union High School Board almost went begging after the incumbent, Bruce Pion, declined nomination for another term. So did two other nominees before Diane Geoffroy betrayed a fatal weakness.
“I would rather you find somebody else,” Ms. Geoffroy said.
Mr. Warner, the moderator, took that as a yes and quickly declared her elected.
“I think that worked quite well,” he said to the meeting with a smile.
Ballot votes were required to re-elect Pam Tetreault tax collector over Lynn Richardson and to elect Jen Blay library trustee over Jill Legacy.
Re-elected without a contest were Selectman Alden Warner, Town Clerk Nanette Bonneau, Town Treasurer Pam Tetreault, Lister Mark Higley, Road Commissioner Reginald Pion, Second Constable George Sargent and Auditor Gordon Spencer.
When Albert Pion declined another term as first constable, Stephanie Ostiguy was elected to replace him.
Immediately after lunch the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department survived an attack from the floor that would have reduced its appropriation from $10,138 to $4,000.
The motion came from Gordon Spencer. “I hardly ever see the sheriff where I live,” he said, “not that my neighborhood’s full of outlaws. I just won’t call them anymore. They don’t come.”
That complaint, that deputies are never seen on the town’s back roads and seem to spend their time parked in front of the fire station on Route 100, was echoed by others.
And while the sheriff’s department reported that it had issued tickets worth a total of $8,117 in Lowell last year, Ms. Tetreault pointed out that only $1,639 of that found its way to the town treasury.
The deputy on hand, Kyle Ingalls, said he believes that fines imposed on state highways go to the state, except where the speed limit is posted at 35.
The amendment to cut the sheriff’s funding failed on a show of hands, 38 to 55, and the requested appropriation passed on a voice vote.
The school budget of just over $1.5-million passed, though Mr. Warner, the moderator, at first declared that, on a voice vote, the nays had it. That was quickly challenged by Larry Chase, and the budget passed on a show of hands, 71 to 26.
A substantial list of appropriations won the voters’ approval, though the Frontier Animal Society’s request for $500 was cut to $250, and the $250 saved was used to double the appropriation for the Jay Area Local Food Shelf. A $500 request from Orleans County Citizen Advocacy was cut to last year’s level of $300, on the grounds that all other agencies were being level funded this year.
