ISSUES

Transcript of Paul's remarks:

"We have dug into the important details tonight in a healthy and transparent way. But I would like it if we expanded the aperture a bit more to look at the whole picture.

I think we should be saying to ourselves, this is our wind. And then asking ourselves, what do we want to do with it. We should be determining our own path forward as much as possible, and thereby reducing the spaces in which terms are dictated to us.

This entire experience has felt predicated on a sense of lost control. This event tonight represents a re-taking of some control lost by our citizens. And it’s a big step in the right direction to restore some sense of trust that your elected officials and town staff are working in your best interests.

Up until now, the tenor of this conversation has been that unwelcome things are being done to us. And this kind of experience can lend itself to a victimhood narrative in which information appears contradictory, and everyone appears to have a self-interested agenda and our citizens feel like things are way outside of their control. We need to reverse that with better communications and greater transparency. No one likes the feeling of lost control.

So let’s talk about that – control. Presently, our Town is in healthy financial shape. But the Town is also trying to insure against various potential downsides. Those downsides include the future high financing costs of sewering. It also includes the Town potentially being forced by the Commonwealth to accept these wind power landings without any additional protections beyond those captured in the permitting process.

True, Vineyard Wind might now turn out to be the only project seen through to completion around here. Possibly. And that might then turn out OK for us. But it could be a huge lost opportunity – like when the Cape refused federal dollars for sewering the whole Cape back in the 1970s.

We should stop nibbling around the edges of this conversation. Not only would I want us to get more environmental protections and more financial support out of these projects, but if we are going to be forced to take some of this, we should be getting a better deal on our rates – the wind is blowing here and the infrastructure is being proposed for here - so we should be studying the feasibility of bulk energy purchases to reduce our local electricity rates – especially for our seniors living on fixed incomes.

We should come together and set regional goals about potentially one day procuring renewable energy directly at reduced rates. We could stop arguing over the crumbs and leverage the whole loaf for better environmental and financial outcomes for our citizens.

I think it is an economic good for Barnstable that we have availability at our local substation. It is not a curse. It’s an advantage. I believe we should seize this advantage.

Former Council President Jimmy Crocker may or may not have had a soft spot for renewable energy a few years back when he initiated these conversations with the wind companies. But he did aggressively push for smart business decisions by the town to keep our taxes low and our services high and efficient.

On top of that, I am no economic nationalist, but I think it is fair to ask where the American companies are in this conversation. GE makes some of the equipment but all the financing and much of the support services are coming from N. Europe. Where are the American companies in this?

Opposition to these projects have borne positive results – about potential LLC exposures, the Dowses causeway vulnerability, about the unplanned approach to landings and even the scheduling of this event tonight. The Town Council has been listening and adapting to new information and trends.

But a simple ‘NO’ repeatedly frequently does not make for good public policy. To get us over this hump, we should also re-establish the water resources advisory committee from our recent past. This committee of citizens and councilors can help us make sure that we accomplish what we were setting out to do originally – which is to make sure that our homeowners aren’t left shouldering the financial burden of rebuilding of our wastewater infrastructure alone.

Together we can get lower rates on electricity and faster, less expensive sewering. We can take control over this conversation and not feel manipulated by it. With sound coastal management practices and shrewd financial choices, we can leave this place better off than we found it. And that’s a big part of what all of your Town Councilors are trying to do. Thanks."