JAY — Selectpersons voted 3-2 Monday to not pursue solar power options for the town, Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said Tuesday.

A town solar committee had previously recommended the town put a request for proposals out for a purchase agreement.

Selectpersons Vice Chairman Tim DeMillo, Judy Diaz and Tom Goding voted in favor of walking away from solar power, while Selectpersons Chairman Terry Bergeron and Gary McGrane opposed.

The vote followed about an hour-long discussion at the Spruce Mountain Elementary School, LaFreniere said.

LaFreniere had collected information from companies on solar options as the board requested at the March 9 meeting. One suggestion was the town could look at a power purchase agreement that committee originally suggested, she said. Another option was the town investing in its town solar array. The third option was to work with a developer who would own the array and the town would have an option to buy it out in the future, LaFreniere said.

McGrane said at the March 9 meeting he was interested in having a town-owned solar array on town property to help offset electricity costs for town-owned buildings to save taxpayers money.

Some board members had concerns Monday about how long it would take the town to see a return on its investment and the benefit of owning versus leasing a solar array, LaFreniere said.

Goding didn’t see the advantage of going with solar, she said, and Diaz said she would prefer they look at energy savings and having an energy audit done for town facilities.

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