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Select Board seeks authority to negotiate 30-year solar lease for closed landfill; amendment to require final contract on warrant fails
Summary
Article P‑25‑17 would authorize the Select Board to lease the closed landfill for a solar array for up to 30 years. The assembly asked about decommissioning bonds and cap settlement; a proposed amendment to require the final negotiated contract be submitted to the warrant failed.
Article P‑25‑17 asks voters to authorize the Select Board to lease a portion of town‑owned property at 6 Wilder Drive (the closed town landfill) to a vendor for a solar energy array for a term up to 30 years. If approved, the article gives the board authority to negotiate and execute a lease, power purchase agreement and other necessary documents on terms the board considers reasonable.
Members of the Energy Committee and Select Board described the article as a necessary first step to attract private developers who typically require longer lease terms. The committee said potential vendors would perform land surveys and site feasibility work only if the board had authority to offer a multi‑decade lease.
Residents raised several concerns during discussion. Those questions included whether the developer would be required to post a decommissioning bond, who would be responsible for removing panels and restoring the site if panels are abandoned, how heavy “floating” aggregate foundations might affect a landfill cap that had recent remediation work, and whether the final lease should be returned to voters for approval. Engineering and legal details were discussed and several speakers urged the board to include decommissioning and cap protection terms in any agreement.
A motion to add language requiring that “before the final contract is executed, it will be placed on the warrant [for voter review]” was moved and seconded, but the vote to adopt that amendment failed. The main article, as written, will appear on the ballot, and the posting and public‑engagement steps the board described will follow if the warrant article is approved.
Select Board members and staff emphasized they plan public information sessions and hearings during any negotiation process; they also said they would incorporate engineering and decommissioning requirements into negotiated contracts.
Because most solar developers require long lease terms to amortize their investment, the article is written to permit a 30‑year lease with options for extensions in successive terms.
