Cheshire Selectmen Talk Pipeline, Proposed Solar Array
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CHESHIRE, Mass. — Cheshire may hire an additional special attorney to aid in Kinder Morgan negotiations.
The Selectmen on Tuesday night discussed recent findings about the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's pipeline group tthat provides guidance and legal counsel to municipalities affected by the proposed natural gas pipeline.
Town Administrator Mark Webber said 10 communities have opted in, bringing Cheshire's cost down to $6,200.
Webber said the town will still have to hire a special attorney to help negotiate host community benefit agreements with Kinder Morgan if the pipeline receives permitting.
"This is a very important element," Webber said. "If it gets to that point it could mean either considerable positioning for the town or no positioning depending on how you negotiate."
He suggested appropriating $10,000 to $15,000 for the legal costs.
In other business, Selectmen Paul Astorino and Robert Ciskowski said they met with solar array developer Kirt Mayland of Reservoir Road Holdings, based in Avon, Conn. The Planning Board recently approved Mayland's proposal of a nearly 5-acre 1 megawatt solar array on the Bushika gravel pit property.
"I think moving forward it is going to benefit the town benefit some business," Astorino said.
Ciskowski said he suggested to Mayland that instead of donating land he was not planning on using to the state, perhaps donating it or selling it cheaply to the town.
"We aren't really swimming in town-owned land, and he seemed pretty agreeable," Ciskowski said.
Webber said the array will provide discounted electricity prices in Cheshire.
Webber said he also met with the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District to discuss a preliminary school budget that anticipates a 5.2 percent increase over this year.
He said this increase translates to $961,000, and that $235,000 of this will come from Cheshire and $684,000 will come from Adams. He said the numbers are too preliminary to know for sure but it would add 80 cents to the Cheshire tax rate.
"The thing that bothers me is I think the most about the preliminary budget discussion with the district is I'm not quite sure they have Cheshire's interest at heart and I think it will be up to this board to make sure Cheshire's interests are covered," Selectwomen Carol Francesconi said.
Public Works Director Peter LeFebvre said the town has received some more salt and has sand ordered, but at this time the salt and sand budget will be over budget by $40,000 to $50,000.
"If we don't get any more snow here on out, it shouldn't be too bad," LeFebvre said. "I've got a feeling when this breaks it is going to break quick."
Tags: ACRSD, fiscal 2016, gas pipeline, school budget, solar array,
