Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges council action on battery-storage legal matter; mayoral outreach to other towns described
Summary
A resident cited Resolution 165, the council's appointment of special counsel related to a local battery energy storage dispute, and urged council to pursue remediation; another resident urged inter-municipal coordination about storage-safety risks.
Several public commenters used the meeting's public-comment period to press the council over ongoing concerns about a battery energy storage system and the borough's legal response.
A resident identifying himself as John (address given) asked the council to act on Resolution 165 concerning the special counsel hired for the battery-storage matter, told the council he had documentation from a 2022 hearing and said he wanted the issue remanded. "I want to call council on resolution 165 regarding the attorney that was hired regarding the battery storage system," he said.
Another resident, Matt Gideon, told the council he had raised the issue with other island mayors and found limited appetite for collective action. "One mayor in particular said, 'Good luck. You're up against the electric company. It's a giant and you can't win,'" Gideon said, adding that other officials were sympathetic but reluctant to engage. Gideon urged outreach and education to adjacent municipalities, saying that if a battery-storage fire required evacuations, nearby towns could be drawn into the response.
Councilmembers acknowledged the comments. No additional formal action or vote on the substance of the battery energy storage matter occurred during the meeting; Resolution 165 naming special counsel was listed on the consent agenda and was enacted as part of that routine motion.
The council did not discuss specifics of legal strategy in open session but said it would rely on its special counsel to advise next steps.
