2/27/23: Select Board to Hear Public Comment on Article 15

Important Reminder and Action Request

Select Board to Hear Public Comment
on Article 15
Overturning the Select Board’s Decision to Stop Further Testing by SouthCoast Wind (A.K.A. Mayflower Wind)

Meeting to be Held Monday, 2/27/23 at Town Hall 6:30 pm

At the 2/13/23 Select Board meeting, a group of residents presented the following petition for the Town Meeting Warrant, at which time no public comment was permitted:

ARTICLE 15: To see if Town Meeting will vote in favor of allowing offshore wind developers the right of entry to conduct soil investigations and studies to assess the feasibility of horizontal directional drilling in Town-owned parcels. This right of entry to conduct physical investigation agreements will grant offshore wind developers only temporary access to conduct said investigations and studies. Any offshore wind electric cable landing on or siting of facilities on any Town-owned property must be approved by the Select Board or other Town bodies with jurisdiction over such matters.

The Agreement will allow the Town to better assess the feasibility of an interconnection with offshore renewable projects that would facilitate the decarbonization of the Massachusetts electric grid and assist the Commonwealth in achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 consistent with the state climate law and Climate Emergency declared by the Town of Falmouth in 2020.

If ARTICLE 15 were to be adopted at the 2023 April Town Meeting, it would effectively overturn the Select Board’s December 19, 2023 4-1 decision to not allow SouthCoast Wind (a.k.a. Mayflower Wind) access for further testing in Falmouth.

Reminder

At their upcoming meeting on Monday 2/27/23, the Select Board will be asking for
public input regarding ARTICLE 15 concerning “allowing offshore wind developers
the right of entry to conduct soil test drilling and studies”.

If available, your attendance is encouraged to demonstrate our support
for the Select Board’s 2/13/23 position on this matter.

We encourage anyone who plans to attend to arrive at 6:30 PM because, “At the discretion of the Chair, agenda items may be taken out of order”.

Action Request

EMAIL THE SELECT BOARD NOW 
IN SUPPORT OF THEIR EARLIER DECSION TO NOT ALLOW FURTHER TEST DRILLING IN FALMOUTH, AND ENCOURAGE THEM NOT TO SUPPORT THIS ARTICLE.

OUR INPUT IS CRITICAL ON THIS MATTER.

TO WATCH ON FCTV: Watch locally on Channel 15 or DVR for later viewing.

TO STREAM LIVE ON FCTV: Click here on Monday night.

TO WATCH AT A LATER DATE: Go to YouTube.com and search for “Falmouth Select Board February 27, 2023”