DIXFIELD — The Board of Selectmen will revisit a vote during its Monday, Jan. 25, meeting on whether to place the amended Wind Energy Facility Ordinance on the referendum ballot in June after the vote was postponed in January.

The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Ludden Memorial Library basement.

The board was originally scheduled to vote on the issue at its Dec. 14, 2015, meeting, but postponed it because a selectman was unable to attend. At its Dec. 28, 2015, meeting, Selectman Eugene Skibitsky made the motion to table the vote to Jan. 11 to give the board and residents the chance to review the proposed amendments made by Collins.

The ordinance is the result of Patriot Renewables LLC of Quincy, Mass., approaching town officials in October 2010 about constructing 13 turbines on leased land on Colonel Holman Ridge.

The town passed a wind energy development ordinance in November 2012, but it contained zoning restrictions that were unenforceable. In November 2014, a revised ordinance was rejected. In June 2015, the Planning Board’s original draft was also rejected.

In August 2015, selectmen accepted a citizens’ petition to adopt the sound standards of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection — including a limit of 42 decibels at night and 55 decibels during the day — for the ordinance.

Belfast lawyer Kristin Collins was tasked with drafting the latest batch of ordinance amendments.

Other items on the agenda include:

• Public hearing on whether or not town should extend the Wind Energy Development moratorium by an additional 180 days.

• 2016-2017 municipal budget schedule.

• Report from the Public Works Department.

• Executive session for discussion of confidential records.

mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net

 

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