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Meeting Minutes
Thursday, March 18th, 2010
6:30 pm
120 Washington St.
Salem, Ma
In Attendance: Cindy Keegan (Chair), Nick Lewis, Jeff Brandt, John Hayes, Jenna Ide
Members not in attendance: Rob DeRosier (V. Chair), Adam Segal, Jeff Barz-Snell, Rick Nye
City Staff: Paul Marquis (Salem Energy Manager & RETF/ City Liaison); Graeme Marcoux (Salem High School)
Public: Gavin McAuliffe, Richard & Cynthia Griffin, Peter Hackmeister
Minutes from February 11, 2010 meeting approved
- Salem homeowners Cynthia and Richard Griffin asked whether or not solar energy installations on rooftops met with Historic Commission guidelines; Paul Marquis noted that there was not anything that specifically precluded them, but suggested that they would almost certainly need to meet basic Commission guidelines; Mr. Marquis offered to pose the question to his colleague in the Planning Dept, Jane Guy, who is the liaison to the Commission regarding whether or not there was a plan to develop specific guidelines to streamline the approval process.
- Paul Marquis offered a brief overview of the micro-turbine installation by Deer Path Energy that was approved by the Park & Rec Commission for an existing light pole near the Harbormaster’s office on Winter Island. John Hayes suggested that while he felt the project had considerable merit, some care should be given to avoiding a light fixture that resulted in light pollution.
- The RETF voted to endorse the Deer Path micro-turbine project w/ the caveats raised by John Hayes
The Task Force revisited the question posed by City Council several months prior as to whether or not the City’s wind ordinance needed to be revised. While no decisions were made, actively discussed were issues regarding:
- Maximum tower heights permissible
- Applicability to island properties
- Which City department a permit applicant needs to begin with
- Provisions related to rooftop-mounted micro-turbines
- Electrical safety
- Noise
- Zoning districts that would permit wind energy by-right
- A model abutter waiver- Paul Marquis offered to investigate model language for such waivers
Task Force members agreed to collectively continue their review of model wind ordinances for guidance here.
- It was agreed by Task Force members that an informational sign for Winter Island regarding the met tower needed to be developed in the near term, and that Clean Energy Choice grant funds would be slated for this purpose.
- The Task Force decided that it would also like to look into the possibility of devoting some of the funds from the Mass Clean Energy Choice grant for the met tower in excess of contractual obligations to Meridian Associates to real-time data monitoring. Paul Marquis was charged with making this determination.
Meeting Minutes recorded by Paul Marquis
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm
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