Published on December 7, 2005

SHEFFIELD — There was at least one very clear and nearly unanimous opinion expressed here the night the town passed a straw vote endorsing a wind farm for nearby ridge lines.

It found expression early in the meeting, and it came with little or no discussion

It evidently came as a surprise to some.  UPC, the international company that wants to put up 20 state-of-the-art wind turbines, came to town on Thursday, December 1, prepared to make its case.  Pamphlets and brochures extolling the project had been neatly laid out on a folding table.

The company’s point men huddled; their opponents, the ridge protectors, sat on the edge of their seats.

Out-of-towners, who couldn’t vote, lined the wall in the Millers Run School gym in anticipation of a lively debate.

There were television cameras everywhere; the school had been infested by the media.

And then came the motion from the floor:  Move the question with no debate.

The people of Sheffield had heard enough.

Voting by paper ballot, they supported a plan to place 400-foot wind towers on the ridge lines of Hardscrabble Mountain by a comfortable if not wide margin of 120 to 93 votes.  It was a solid victory that no one appeared to anticipate.

Certainly not the project’s manager, Tim Caffyn, who for the last several months has defended the project at public hearings.  He thought he was going to get another chance, too, as attendance in the gym last Thursday night swelled.

But the crowd had another idea.

For a nonresident to speak at Town Meeting, he must have the support of two-thirds of those present.  And that wasn’t in the cards for a crowd eager and ready to vote.

Allegiances didn’t make any difference.

The question was called onto the floor by an opponent of the turbines, David Zimmerman.

“There has been enough talk.  It’s time to vote,” he said.

His motion drew an immediate second from John Simons, who has spoken out and written letters in favor of the project.

Their motion was overwhelmingly endorsed in a loud vocal chorus of yeas.  But with history looking over his shoulder, the town moderator asked for a show of hands.  Only a few were raised in objection.

Either both sides were confident of victory, or they had simply heard enough.

For some unfamiliar with the process, it was an uncomfortable moment.

As residents lined up to cast their ballots, Mr. Caffyn said if he had known that nonresidents need the body’s permission to speak, he would have bought a piece of property within town lines.  He said he hadn’t expected the debate to be cut off before it got started.

But if people had come to the meeting to be informed, they didn’t act it.  There was hardly any opposition raised when the question was called.

The line to the ballot box started forming roughly 27 minutes after the meeting was called to order, and everyone had been warned that unruly behavior would not be tolerated.

When the tally was finally announced people put on their coats and went home.  Except, that is, for one vigorous supporter.

“Power to the people,” he cried.  “Power to the people.”

Since straw votes in Vermont are not legally binding, last week’s vote was largely a symbolic victory for wind farm advocates.

The project is expected to move on in the weeks ahead, when UPC takes it case before the Public Service Board.

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