All ConVal School District warrant articles passed on Tuesday, with 21 percent turnout, or 3,417 ballots cast of 16,200 registered voters among the School District’s nine towns.
The two warrant articles concerning the installation of a solar array at the high school passed in all towns – 74 percent of voters said yes to the school district negotiating the installation of a solar panel array at the high school, and to enter a Power Purchase Agreement for a third party investor for up to 25 years, and 68 percent said yes to establishing a trust fund that could be used to one day buy out the solar array or invest in other energy efficiency technologies.
“I’m thrilled,” Hancock resident and solar project promoter Michelle Russell said. “I’m so pleased that it passed, and I’m hoping the next steps go well.”
Russell added that the solar array is “not a done deal,” as the district still needs to negotiate a letter of intent with ReVision energy, analyze the quality of the high school’s roof, compare the merits of installing the array on the roof versus on the ground, then review the proposal and get a contract together.
School Board members had previously been concerned whether voters would support them in the initiative.
“Hopefully this will give the School Board the confidence they need,” she said.
The warrant article specifies that the proposed 300-kilowatt project would be operated by the ReVision Energy solar company, which would assume all costs of the project and provide the school district the option of a buyout, to capitalize on additional energy savings, after six years of operation.
The proposed budget of $50,565,103 passed with 63 percent of voters in favor. Voters also passed warrants seeking appropriations to the Building Capital Reserve Fund and the Athletic and Health Trust Funds.
In School Board elections, Kevin Pobst unseated Stephan Morrissey for Francestown’s School Board seat, with 370 votes to Morrissey’s 113. Katherine Heck held her Greenfield seat against challenger Kim Kamieniecki with 161 votes to Kamieniecki’s 42. Stephen Ullman and Robert Short Jr. won the respective vacant seats in Antrim and Peterborough, and H. Alan Edelkind and James Fredrickson retained their positions representing Dublin and Sharon.