The Village of Hyde Park Australian ballot will be held on May 5 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Village office. For information or assistance, please call Karen Wescom at 888-2130.
Article 12: Shall general obligation bonds for the Village of Hyde Park in an amount not to exceed three-million dollars ($3,000,000) payable out of Electric Department revenue, be issued, subject to Public Service Board approval, for the purpose of constructing a one megawatt (1MW) solar generation facility, to be located within the Town of Hyde Park.
The Annual Meeting will be called to order at 7:00 p.m. on May 5, at the Hyde Park Elementary School Library. No action will be taken at the Annual Meeting until such time as the poll closes and all persons conducting the voting process have arrived at the meeting. We anticipate action on Article 1. to take place at approximately 7:15 p.m.
"If I vote for the bond, does that mean that I am voting to build a solar project?"
Attorney Ed French responds as follows:
On May 5th the voters will be making an initial decision about whether to proceed with the financing of the overall project, but this is just the first step in a process that may or may not lead to the final construction of the project.
The next step will be the final work securing a location, refining the numbers, and preparing a formal filing with the Public Service Board.
The Public Service Board will then conduct a detailed analysis of the project and issue an Order ruling whether it is in the public interest to proceed with it. Any citizen of the Village will have the right to intervene in that process and make their opinions known or present evidence.
After the Public Service Board approval, with whatever conditions may be attached, there has to be another approval by the Village voters. If the voters do not approve it again, it will not be constructed.
As you can see, there are several opportunities for input and change to the final project.
In essence, the vote on May 5th has somewhat of an advisory effect in the broadest sense. I think the law is written the way it is to prevent municipalities from investing a lot of time and effort in projects that the voters are not going to approve in the long run. The initial vote sets the tone for further actions down the road.
As you know, it is the position of the Village Trustees that this project is a very innovative way to meet the new energy portfolio standards that are expected to be in place next year. If we don't take affirmative action ourselves we will be in a position of having to spend resources getting involved in projects that we have much less control over.
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