Commissioners Consider Wind Resolution

At the November 1 County Commissioners meeting, Allan O'Shea presented a draft of a wind resolution for the commissioners to adopt. Mr. O'Shea works for Contractors Building Supply in Copemish, which deals in solar photovoltaic systems, windows, and other energy-related supplies, and is reportedly also an employee of Duke Energy (the Alert was not able to confirm this by post time). After discussion the commissioners decided they needed more time to create their own resolution and will use O'Shea's as a sort of template, according to Frankfort/Gilmore commissioner Marcia Stobie. A committee consisting of Mark Roper, Roland Halliday, and Anne Damm will draft a new resolution to present to the board at the December 20 meeting for a vote.

According to Marcia Stobie, public input related to the resolution went on for about 45 minutes to an hour. The resolution "has no teeth," says Stobie, and will not commit the county to a particular course of action, but rather will reflect the county's openness to many forms of alternative energy, including wind, in keeping with the State of Michigan's Clean, Renewable, and Efficient Energy Act (PA 295), "requiring the state's investor-owned utilities, alternative retail suppliers, electric cooperatives and municipal electric utilities to generate 10% of their retail electricity sales from renewable energy resources by 2015."

Patty O'Donnell of NMCoG presented a plaque recognizing the county for its energy conservation efforts, and the commissioners approved a contract with American Waste for glass recycling collection. At last month's meeting the contract dealing with all other recyclables was approved. On January 1, the new recycling system begins, in which a huge array of new materials will be accepted, paid for by an increase of $3 per household per year.