(Full tally, 2011-2014, is below.)
Easton Article 7 - unanimously passed, 3/11/2014
Article 7. Expendable Trust Fund for Legal Fees Incurred Representing the Town's Position Regarding the Northern Pass Project.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $7,500.00 to add to the Expendable Trust Fund for Legal Fees Incurred Representing the Town's Position Regarding the Northern Pass Project; of this amount $2,500.00 is to be raised from general taxation with the remaining balance of $5,000 to come from the December 31, 2013 Fund Balance. (The Selectmen recommend adoption of this Warrant Article.) (Majority vote required.)
[N.B. This fund may accept donations, grants or gifts, in any amount, to be utilized for the same purpose set forth in Article 7. Such donations are tax deductible.]
Holderness Article 10 - unanimously passed, 3/11/2014.
"Article 10: To see if the Town will vote to reaffirm its objection to the
Northern Pass Project, which submitted an amended application (replacing their
original application and subsequent amendments) for a Presidential Permit to the
Department of Energy on July 1, 2013 and to recommend that state owned
transportation rights-of-way should be used to locate underground energy
transmission corridors; or to take any other action relative thereto. This
article is by petition."
Pembroke Article 15 - passed, 3/15/2014.
ARTICLE 15 - To see if the Town of Pembroke shall state its opposition to any new overhead development of alternating current and direct current high voltage transmission lines within its borders; and in turn manifest the Town’s strong preference for the burial of such lines, in a manner consistent with state and federal requirements, under rights of way and power line corridors now existing or to be established. Although burial in all instances is preferred, this statement of opposition shall not apply to distribution lines carrying electrical power and other utility lines, such as telephone and cable television, for Town residential or commercial use.
Stratford (excerpt from news report by Union Leader, 3/12/2014)
"Some Town Meeting voters took on ‘bigger picture’ issues" (excerpt)
By JOHN KOZIOL
Union Leader
3/12/2014
In Stratford, voters took up the item: “To see if the town will vote to
authorize the Board of Selectmen to pursue the possible construction of a cell
tower ...”
Three selectmen — Tim Brooks, Larry Ladd and Chair Robin Kimball Rheaume —
cited the fact that the Northern Pass project was a supporter of a similar cell
tower project in Groveton.
According to draft minutes from the session provided by Town Clerk Dawn
Frost, the body first voted to allow the selectmen to move forward on the cell
tower as long as no funding came from Northern Pass. Voters then amended the
article — on the chance that Northern Pass might make a donation through another
entity — to read that the effort can proceed in so far that “no apparent funding
comes from Northern Pass.” The amended article passed on a voice vote.
Sugar Hill Articles 10, 11 - both passed unanimously, 3/11/2014.
ARTICLE 10: To see if the Town will vote to create a Town-funded trust fund pursuant to RSA 31:19-a, to be known as the Northern
Pass Defense Fund, for the purpose of financing legal expenses and other costs incurred by the Town in advocating the Town’s opposition to the Northern Pass project, to appoint the Select
Board as agents to spend this fund, and to raise and appropriate
the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars($10,000) to be placed in this fund.
The Select Board recommends this Appropriation.
ARTICLE 11: To see if the Town will authorize the Select Board to accept donations, grants or gifts, in any amount, to be utilized
for the same purposes as set forth in Article 10, above, to be held and invested in accordance with RSA 31:19-a, paragraph IV.
The Select Board recommends this Article.
Read the news report on Sugar Hill's vote on Articles 10 and 11.
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Total: 33
*The Concord Planning Board unanimously voted to require Northern Pass to bury the lines in the city; the Conservation Commission unanimously voted to oppose the project altogether. This was not a full town meeting vote and is not included in the tally figure of 33. Several towns have voted in different warrant articles opposing Northern Pass in multiple years.
