Enfield considers charter changes that could reshape its political landscape

Image
Charter Revision Commission meeting last week Enfield’s Charter Revision Commission met Thursday for its first in-depth workshop, generating a long list of proposals that could significantly alter how the town governs itself. Ideas ranged from switching to a two-year budget cycle, allowing a budget referendum, and compensating elected officials, or even shifting to a mayoral form of government. Other proposals included banning profanity on signs, locking non-governmental flag restrictions into the Charter, and changes such ending council districts. The meeting was structured as a pitch session, with each commission member suggesting topics for future discussion. In-depth discussions are to take place at subsequent meetings. While many proposals are unlikely to move forward—either because of insufficient support or legal concerns raised by the Town Attorney—the meeting highlighted potential flashpoints for what promises to be a spirited Charter revision process. Mayor Nelson’s Proposals...
Post a Comment

Enfield considers a large solar array and climate change

Broadbrook Road, Enfield, just south of the Jarmoc Farms entrance. I don't know if photo is showing part of the actual array site, but it does say something of the character of the area. 

The Reddit group named "Collapse" is as depressing as it gets. Its posts are about climate change mostly, but it welcomes anything alarming. The premise is that "collapse" -- societal, environmental, economic -- is inevitable. The only remaining issue to debate is its timing. An outcome of this discussion are posts by people describing their dread and hopelessness over the future. I tell myself that the worst-case climate change disaster is not inevitable. I half suspect that the people who truly accept "collapse" may have something wrong with them, but also wonder if I'm lying to myself.

Bill McKibben, the environmental writer and activist, sees the globe on pace for a 3.5 degree Celsius increase (about 7 degrees Fahrenheit) in temperature by 2100.  "Given the grim science, it's a fair question whether anything can be done to slow the planet's rapid warming," he wrote in a piece for The New York Review of Books about the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. He is not alone. After reading the same report, James Fahn, a science journalist wrote in Scientific American that, "The situation, in other words, is much worse than people thought."

Enfield is being asked to do its part to prevent collapse, although they aren't framing the issue this way. Town officials from planning and zoning, conservation and economic development held a special meeting Nov. 7 to conduct a site walk at Jarmoc Farms, 65 Broadbrook Road, concerning “the proposed large-scale solar array" -- a 19.6 MW project on what is now farm land. Part of the land was used, most recently, for tobacco, pumpkin and squash crops.

From pumpkins to carbon removal

The plan is to install fixed tilted solar panels generating enough power to meet the electricity needs of 4,300 homes. The power will go to local utilities, Eversource and United Illuminating, and reduce carbon emissions. The C02 reduction equals "to taking 38,000 passenger vehicles off the road for one year," wrote the firm, in a filing to the state.

In October, Nutmeg Solar submitted a petition to the state as part of the approval process for the solar array. The project area is 162 acres on the east side of Broadbrook Road. Nutmeg Solar is part of NextEra Energy, a Florida based firm. This a major clean energy firm with revenues of more than than $17 billion.

The Broadbrook land is relatively flat and located near an electrical substation. NextEra has been working on this proposal with landowners since 2015.

The Enfield Economic Development Committee reviewed the project last year. At that time, according to the minutes of the meeting, the energy firm said if it gets approval, the $30 million capital project will "generate around $500,000 in local tax revenue."

The debate over the solar array

Some neighbors aren't happy with the plan and worry about its impact on property values and the character of the area, according to the Journal Inquirer.

For Enfield, this decision will be made on local concerns. People will certainly note the environmental benefits, but will give ample considerations to neighbor concerns.

[Edit: Enfield's role may be advisory. The approval of the project may rest with the state Siting Council.]

Solar arrays aren't new and the debate over appropriate locations has a long history. The questions that Enfield has ought to be answerable.

On the Reddit Collapse forum, the idea that technology can reverse the planet's course is largely dismissed. People who believe otherwise are accused of having an optimism bias. Too much planetary warming has already been locked in, they will argue. The planet is too disorganized and the leadership incapable of taking action. Will Enfield be yet one more proof point?

What Enfield does won't matter on Collapse. You can't argue for hope in that forum. The only acceptable position is to endorse the inevitability of collapse or else your Reddit comment will be voted down. But I can't and won't accept this. What we do to reduce carbon emissions can and will matter.



Location: 65 Broad Brook Rd, Enfield, CT 06082, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fix it or face foreclosure: Enfield’s blight ordinance targets minor issues

Image
  Chipped paint on Town Hall is blight under the town's proposed blight ordinance Imagine being fined $100 a day because your lawn grew too tall while you were in the hospital. Under Enfield's proposed blight ordinance, this nightmare could become a reality for many residents. The Town Council will consider this revised ordinance at its Monday night meeting—but as written, it could harm hundreds of residents over minor cosmetic issues, from overgrown grass to temporary home repairs. While it's reasonable to address properties that pose genuine health and safety risks, this ordinance goes too far by treating cosmetic issues as equally severe. For example, if grass or weeds grow taller than 12 inches, the town can issue a citation requiring correction within 10 days. If it's not addressed in time, the property maintenance inspector can impose fines of $100 a day—with no cap—until the problem is resolved. In extreme cases, these escalating fines could even lead to foreclos...
Read more

Why is Enfield in trouble? Facts with a dose of sarcasm

Image
Molly at School Rally People are going after spending in Enfield and trying to dissect it to see where they can find gross mismanagement. Since the Republicans have been in control for all but two of the last 16 years, let's assume that the town's spending is pristine and error-free and beyond reproach—except for the two years when the Democrats were in charge. As we all know, the Democrats dumped money out of the windows of Town Hall. The Town Council Republicans are going to try to set a token reduction in the Mill Rate. To reach that point, they may have to do some problematic things, such as deferring spending on things like police cruiser replacements and equipment generally, putting off some maintenance, and not filling vacancies and laying off where they can, and who knows what else. There's a lot they can't touch, namely contractual salary obligations. But they want to be able to say that they reduced taxes. More concerning will be how much of the costs are bein...
Read more

Fewer kids, fewer costumes: What declining school enrollment means for trick-or-treating

Image
Enfield has experienced a significant and ongoing decline in public school enrollment over an 18 year period. When compared to four nearby towns of similar population size, Enfield and Middletown show the steepest declines. Many factors may be contributing to this trend. These include smaller family sizes, lower fertility rates, job market, cost of living including housing costs, an aging population across the state, and an increase in families choosing alternative education options, such as homeschooling. The data is available at EdSight . The enrollment data only covers the last 18 years. Update : After reading some of the insightful Facebook comments , more data is needed to show how population changes are contributing to the school population decline. The comments about an increase in homeschooling were thought-provoking. I wish there was a way to quantify that shift; I suspect the school district may have some estimates. Enfield has experienced an approximate 8.76% decline in ...
Read more