Town nixes wood heat plan
PUTNEY — PUTNEY - After reviewing project details, including cost estimates, the town's Energy Committee and the Selectboard concluded the Windham Wood Heat Initiative program was not in Putney's best interest.
The $1.6 million program, funded by Vermont Yankee decommissioning via the Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund, aims to create “high performance” municipal and school buildings by increasing energy efficiency and installing “advanced wood heat” systems.
Since the project rolled out a few years ago, Windham County town and school officials have debated whether to participate. Although at least 15 entities signed agreements to have their buildings assessed for wood heat, Putney won't be among them.
Morgan Casella, chair of Putney's Energy Committee, appeared at the Sept. 14 regular Selectboard meeting to share his group's findings.
Casella told board members converting to a new system is too expensive. The fire station's heating system, like the building, is new and works well. Although the town hall has heating issues, fixing them won't require a new heating system. Heat pumps, a split system, and solar were options Casella and the board discussed.
Converting to wood heat is “a huge investment for a nominal amount of return,” Board Chair Joshua Laughlin said. Morgan added, “you can buy solar panels and heat pumps for the same price."
“And then we're not burning anything,” Laughlin said.
Town manager issues Lister correction
PUTNEY - After a discussion with members of the Listers' Office at the Aug. 17 Selectboard meeting about what the listers described as new state requirements, Town Manager Cynthia Stoddard received a flood of phone calls from across the state, she told the Board at their Sept. 14 regular meeting.
Lister Christopher Landin told town officials at the Aug. 17 meeting new, stringent regulations were coming down the pike.
“That's not the case,” Stoddard said at the Sept. 14 meeting.
Although Stoddard attributed Landin's actions to “trying to be proactive” and she attaches no “malicious intent” to his warning, “we may not have had absolutely accurate information.”
When Stoddard began hearing from officials from the state and other municipalities, she quickly learned from multiple sources “there are no training requirements and none are coming in the near future,” she said.
“It's all been cleared up,” Stoddard said, noting the Listers are attending training and will adjust their schedules to spread out the seminars over time since none are mandated or will be soon.
Stoddard told Board members she didn't really mind all the phone calls pouring into her office after The Commons reported on the story ["Officials object to changes in lister training requirements,” Town & Village, Aug. 31].
“It was kind of fun,” she said, adding, “I talked to people I haven't talked to in a while.”