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The Altamont Enterprise - Thursday, December 25,2008 tt ...R'ville wants to draft wind-power law that will promote community ownership •rtwqiMi* V*** 1 If 1 * IMV (Continued from Page 1) control energy production and distribution, he said \So as we move toward renewable energy, and owning and controlling it locally, it is really the ultimate democratic tool\ Meetings, he said, will be open to all who wish to attend The committee, he said, will consider both large-scale com- mercial development, and small- er-scale residential turbines, and help the board to determine what types of installations should be allowed, what types should be en- couraged, and what types should be discouraged, Abbott said In his proposal, he said that, if the town does end up working with large-scale developers, it should \ensure that it is under conditions of maximum benefit to individual landowners, as well as to all citizens through income from the power generation \ He also urges the town to familiarize itself with the dif- ferent models for wind-power systems. \My intention is for our com- mittee to make recommendations to the town board oh zoning laws, policies, and' procedures^\ said Abbott; \We'll be interfacingwith the Work of the planning board, the zoning board of appeals, and with the code enforcenieni officer, and seeking input from these bodies.\ He also plans to keep an eye on the drafting of regulations in the surrounding towns, to not only aid his committee in its work, but to keep these towns informed on the work being done in Rensselaeryille. \One of the things I'll be do- ing is making sure that the surrounding 'town supervisors know of this ? work, as it will be applicable not only to anyone who wants to use it locally, but also anyone who wants to use it nationwide,\ he said. The purpose, though, is not to advocate for wind power, but to provide guidelines that can be voted upon by the town board related to the regulations, Ab- bott said. . \Even though I'm personally in favor of wind as one of the most cost-effective renewable energy technologies, I'm hoping pur committee\will balance that with property rights,\ Abbott said. \For example, if someone has a perfect wind site, I'm absolutely not in favor of the town trying to force the property owner to install wind, just because it would be a great benefit. Also, there are places in town where large commercial turbines could be installed and have little to no impact on the town. There are people who are against wind because they think it's loud, or destroys the viewshed, but there may be portions of town where that isn't true.\ Abbott believes, however, that renewable energy, if implemented correctly can cause a significant The new wind-power-committee head, Noel Abbott, willlead the charge towards drafting Rens- selaerviUe's first wind-power regulations, that will provide guidelines for \zoning laws, policies, and procedures\ having to do with the construction of wind turbines in the town. economic boom. Excess power produced by the wihdjpower, for example, could be. sold. \This is importfmtffQr the town.in a time ; of such econpinic. challenge,\ hie said. \It would be a stabilizing effect throughout the commu- nity. I hope people will come to understand the connection between renewable energy and the strength of the ecpnoiny.\ Abbot plans on making sure that the wind-power meetings are short and to the point, he said. -\I've been an organization- development, consultant, and have trained people in effective meetings,\ he said. \I'm not a fan of senseless long meetings, which • is why I wanted to chair this thing. The output is going to be something iike.a oneTpage docu- ment of main points discussed, and that will be a format for all of our meetings — trim and usable. I also hope that people will be able to go online and See these things.\ Abbot hasn't recommended any other committee members to the town board yet, but he hopes to have completed the wind-power lineup by the middle of January, he said. In the meantime, Abbott will continue to teach yoga, while working towards establishing his fEventhough I'm personally in favor of wind as one of the most cost-effective renewable energy technologies, I'm hoping bur committee will balance that with property rights.\ website, World Energy Voices. \We're going to be an Internet- based, global resource for renew- able energy and humanitarian solutions,\ he said of World En- ergy Voices. His hope is that the website, www.woridenergyvoices . com, will he up and running by the time President-elect Barack Obama takes office. Other business In other business at its Dec. 15 meeting, the town board: — Heard from Town Attorney Joseph Catalano that an engi- neering report front American Tower said the once-questionable cell tower near Pond Hill Road is structurally sound, but there are maintenance issues. \When the power went out here, the light on top of the tower went out as well, and we thought there was some sort of backup system for that,\ Catalano told The En- terprise. \But there is an auto- matic backup system to provide a warning. What happens is, they contact the [Federal Aviation Administration] and let them know the light is out, and the FAAhas some internal procedure to alert aircraft. I got word from [American Tower] that they were looking into that,\ he said; — Discussed the cleanliness of the town hall's water supply- Tour well and septic have to be so many feet apart, and ours aren't, but the water tests say it's \Making sure that the surrounding town supervisors know of this work.\ OK,\ said Town Clerk Kathleen Hallenbeck. According to Kerri Battle, spokeswoman for Albany County, theWpll ihust he 50 feet from the,. sejStic tank; iand. : lt)Q feet from' the leach field; If jthe well is downhill from the septic tank, however; it has to be 200 feet away, Battle said. : j;AV; report \fron>vSt..; Peter's Render L^borato^said*the'town .hall'swaterwas \of ^satisfactory sanitary quality when sampled from the contaminants exam- ined.\ Members of the building department were unavailable for comment on the distance between the town hall's septic tank and its well; • — After complaints from the public concerning an unsatis-. factory 2009 budget, discussed the fact that, while the.budget has been passedy'it, is possible to amend a budget. No action was taken; -v Unanimously approved its fourth law for 2008 on partial tax exemption on real property for senior citizens and persons with disabilities on limited in- come. The percentage of assessed property value changes based on a sliding scale linked to income. People 65 and oyer, with annual incomes of $28,000 or less, get a 50-pecent tax exemption, and at the other end of the scale, those making between $35,500 and $36,400 get a 5-percent tax exemption. Starting on July 1, 2009, the above values increase by $1,000; — Unanimously approved its fifth law for 2008 on partial tax exemption on real property for Cold War veterans; — Scheduled its final 2008 meeting for Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. At this meeting, the board will pay bills for 2008, hold interviews for a certified public accoun- tant, aiid discuss the upcoming census; and — Scheduled its organiza- tional meeting for Jan. 1, 2009 at 11 a.m. WishesM Customers Merry Christmas 861*6515 www.altamontorchards.com •66MDlmnsvilie^i,^;397;: AJtamblit,NY 12009 SEASONS Wishing You 'Peace arid Joy . ffhis tfotidaySeason andtdroufl(toutike ^fewYear j^trnmhtrMY current on vilhdpdwei; : // Read The Enterprise,
