Thursday, February 9, 2012
Three years after rejection, Light Board, BMLD win approval for $53.7M project.
When the vote was called, the Special Town Meeting expressed its opinion on building a proposed $53.7 million electrical substation with overwhelming silence. The absence of comment when Town Moderator Mike Widmer asked if anyone opposed the article allowing the bonding authority to build the largest infrastructure project in Belmont's history stunned many of the substation supporters who looked around to the representatives in the Chenery Middle School's auditorium as Town Meeting approved the measure unanimously. The vote, which drew a round of applause by the representatives and congratulatory handshakes from members of the Belmont Municipal Light Department – the town's independent utility – and its Light Board Advisory Committee, …
42.38652
-71.17051
W. L. Chenery Middle School
95 Washington St, Belmont, MA
/articles/unanimous-town-meeting-says-yes-to-substation
157120
/locations/6343972
42.39532
-71.15751
20 Flanders Rd, Belmont, MA
/articles/unanimous-town-meeting-says-yes-to-substation
/locations/6343973
42.389682
-71.182587
Belmont Municipal Light Department
40 Prince St, Belmont, MA
/articles/unanimous-town-meeting-says-yes-to-substation
230754
/locations/6343974
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Final additions to Article 2 allows for talks with NSTAR, caps bonding authority to $53.7M.
The Belmont Light Board dotted the 'i's' and crossed the 't's' as it added wording to the measure going before Special Town Meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 8, that will authorize the sale of more than $50 million in municipal bonds to create a new electrical substation. The Light Board – made up of the three-member Board of Selectmen – approved Monday night, Feb. 6, an amendment to Article 2 to allow the Selectmen to negotiate with utility-giant NSTAR on its offer to continue working with the town's independent electric company as supplier to the current 13.8 kilovolt system. The design, construction and installation of an electrical substation will be determined by the Light Board "after due consideration of all options including but …
42.39627
-71.17714
Belmont Town Hall
455 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA
/articles/light-board-adds-wording-to-substation-article
157295
/locations/6332116
Friday, February 3, 2012
Financial watch dog gives OK to bond $53.7M, asks selectmen to negotiate with utility giant.
The last-minute insertion by energy giant NSTAR into the four-year debate on building a new electric substation has thrown a curve into the vote before the reconvened Special Town Meeting on Wednesday on the town’s largest capital project in decades. Representatives at the meeting Feb. 8 will not only be voting to approve a $53.7 million bond authorization to purchase land on Flanders Road and build the electrical substation, but will now allow the Belmont Board of Selectmen to negotiate with the electrical and natural gas utility monopoly on the continued use of the current electrical standard, the 13.8 kilovolt system. “It is a surprise that they came forward" with an offer, said Ralph Jones, chairman of the Light Board and Board of …
42.38652
-71.17051
W. L. Chenery Middle School
95 Washington St, Belmont, MA
/articles/last-minute-surprise-nstar-enters-substation-debate
157120
/locations/6311858
42.39531
-71.15736
25 Flanders Rd, Belmont, MA
/articles/last-minute-surprise-nstar-enters-substation-debate
/locations/6311859
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Board's vote asks for more time to discuss finances with boards and the public.
Ralph Jones, chairman of the Municipal Light Board, will ask tonight's Special Town Meeting to delay a vote on Article 2, the $60 million bond authorization to finance the construct an electric substation, until the week of Feb. 6. Board member Mike Paolillo voted with Jones to postpone the discussion before Town Meeting. Angelo Firenze, who vigorously argued for the vote to take place tonight, confident that supporters of the substation would be able to answer "any question from representatives, voted no. Wednesday's meeting was a continuation of a meeting from the night before. But Jones said that while the facts will not change, town boards including the Warrant Committee – the financial watch dog of the Town Meeting – and the Capital …
42.38652
-71.17051
W. L. Chenery Middle School
95 Washington St, Belmont, MA
/articles/light-board-will-seek-three-week-delay-on-substation-vote
157120
/locations/6209885
Waverly Watchdog
12:00 am on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
It's time the Belmont ratepayers were the primary concern, not the Selectmen's schemes to extract indirect PILOT payments from the non-profits in town, via the increased commercial electric rates and the increased Return on Plant that the substation wiould allow. Belmont is already paying over $2,000,000 per year more for electricity than NSTAR customers would be for the same usage. That will … more ›