Power project is Council topic

By Elna Seabrooks
Staff writer
    The Houlton Town Council met Monday evening in the town office. In attendance were: Chairman, Paul J. Cleary; Town Manager Doug Hazlett; and Councillors Gerald Adams, John H. Fitzpatrick, Walter Goodrich, Nancy Ketch, Paul Romanelli, M.D., and Sue Tortello.
    Discussion began with public comments from Stan Ginish that there has been no meeting regarding action on downtown trees. He also expressed concern about donations to the Red Cross and human needs in addition to donations to the animal shelter.
    After the minutes of September 8th were accepted in a 6 to 0 vote, discussion began with a presentation by representatives of the Maine Power Connection a program of Maine Public Service (MPS) and Central Maine Power Company. Susan Bell, a consultant, gave background on a proposed 200 mile transmission line for wind power with new substations in Detroit, Houlton, TD R2 WELS near Bridgewater and Limestone with an estimated cost of $625 million.
    Brent Boyles, president of Maine Public Service – a private, shareholder-owned utility that transmits and distributes electricity to most of Aroostook County – also spoke about the proposed project. He compared materials used to generate energy in Maine, New England, the USA and Europe saying alternate forms of energy hold great economic promise because of fuel diversity.
    The proposal still requires approval from the Maine Public Utility Commission, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, US Army Corps of Engineers, Land Use and Regulation Commission and the Federal Energy Commission. Boyles said he anticipates 930 temporary wind generation jobs, additional transmission construction jobs, 95 permanent wind generation jobs and some permanent transmission jobs throughout the county.
    Boyles said he is “shooting” to maintain or reduce rates in Houlton, but could not guarantee that would happen.
    Members of the Council stated their reservations over rate implications, potential health hazards from high tension wires, noise and aesthetics of wind generators in a rural setting.
    Houlton Water Company (HWC) General Manager John Clark expressed concern about the potential for a negative impact on electric rates to its customers. HWC distributes electricity that is transmitted to it by MPS. By connecting northern Maine with the rest of the state and New England, Clark says it will allow a wind generator to ship energy south and force Houlton under control of the Independent System Operator (ISO) of New England. He said the legislature has told the Public Utilities Commission to investigate whether or not Maine should leave the ISO and form another system because it is not run efficiently.
    He also stated that to finance the project, Maine Public Service and Central Maine Power want to join ISO in order to spread the cost over all rate payers in New England which, he says, would result in a 20 to 25 percent rate increase. He further stated that Aroostook County is supplied with virtually 100 percent renewable energy already and even though there would be some increased employment and leasing of land with the proposal, it would be short lived.
    He also said that sponsors should develop a formula mechanism to hold HWC customers harmless by compensating them if the Maine Power Connection cost ratepayers money.
    The Council, in a unanimous vote, supported John Clark as the town’s advocate in the matter.
Additional Business
    Karan Wotton, a court advocate for the Battered Women’s Project in the southern Aroostook area, explained that Domestic Violence Awareness Month will start with a vigil in Monument Park, October 1st followed by several events. At the Houlton Police Department purple wooden ribbons will display names of Aroostook County victims who have died this year and names of victims who died will be displayed at the Maine State Police Barracks on Route 1.
    Wotton thanked the Council for a proclamation.
    In unanimous 6 to 0 votes the council approved the following:
• Council proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month;
• Council terminated Town of Houlton Deferred Compensation Section 457 Plan, effective immediately, and authorized the Town Manager to sign all documents pertaining to such. This allows several affected employees to manage their own retirement investments;
• Council appointed Kevin Tingley as Plumbing Inspector for Houlton and Wade L. Hanson as Alternate Plumbing Inspector for Houlton;
• Council approved execution of the application to the Department of Public Safety Liquor Licensing & Inspection by the American Legion Post 47, located at 184 Bangor Street, for renewal of a liquor license;
• Council accepted the $12,000 STOP Violence Against Women grant awarded to the Houlton Police Department;
• Council ratified the Emergency Medical Technicians Union contract and authorizes the Town Manager to sign it.
Free safety inspections and smoke detectors
    The next order of business included a report from Houlton Fire Chief Milton Cone who said October 5–11 is Fire Prevention Week which commemorates the devastating Chicago fire of 1871. He explained that most fires at home result from cooking, smoking or heating. As the heating season begins, Chief Cone stressed the need for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors as well as the importance to clean and inspect heating systems. He further explained that every home needs two means of escape in the event of a fire because residents may be tempted to close off an alternate route with plastic or snow banking which can lead to tragedy in the event of fire.
    The Houlton Fire Department will make appointments for free home safety inspections and installation of free smoke detectors as needed by calling the Houlton Fire Department at 532-1320.
    Town Manager Hazlett reported on the Bangor Street improvements and said the crew was on schedule and probably a bit ahead of it.
    Dr. Romanelli expressed further support of HWC Manager John Clark and a desire to put it in writing.
    There was a brief discussion that financing for housing was a bit behind due to the current banking crisis.
    Sue Tortello commended the Houlton Police Department for its role in the arrest in an alleged scheme to defraud a resident. After all remarks and discussions, the meeting adjourned.