East Bridgewater Approves Solar Project
Select Board awards Bridge Street landfill lease to Kearsarge Energy
EAST BRIDGEWATER - July 14 - The East Bridgewater Select Board approved a notice of award Monday night to lease the Bridge Street landfill to Kearsarge Energy for a solar field project, with the town expecting to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in lease and pilot payments.
The approval comes as the town faces potential loss of state funding due to its failure to comply with MBTA community zoning requirements by Tuesday's deadline.
Town Administrator Charlie Seelig explained that the solar project represents a significant revenue opportunity for the municipality. "We would be getting hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in lease and pilot payments," Seelig said during the meeting.
The town selected Kearsarge Energy from six firms that submitted proposals after a working group reviewed both technical qualifications and pricing information.
"We thought this company appeared to provide the best chance this project would actually get off the ground and that the town would obviously recoup a fair amount of money," Seelig said.
The approval is contingent upon successful contract negotiations, with pricing potentially subject to change based on factors including the size of the solar field and available energy credits. Seelig indicated he will return to the board with a finalized contract and may bring the energy consultants to answer questions.
Meanwhile, the town confronts mounting financial pressure from the state over its non-compliance with MBTA Community zoning requirements. East Bridgewater joins what Seelig estimates will be "in the high teens" of communities missing Tuesday's deadline.
The town has already lost approximately $130,000 in Chapter 90 funding, and Select Board member Katherine Mullen expressed concern about expanding penalties beyond grant funding.
"They're also now penalizing MBTA non-compliant communities using supplemental and budgetary amount money, which I think is something that we haven't realized before," Mullen said. "We were under the understanding it was grant funding and now that seems to outskirt that reach to go to supplemental budgetary funding."
Town Meeting voters rejected MBTA zoning compliance articles twice, leaving East Bridgewater among communities awaiting potential legal action from Attorney General Andrea Campbell. The state previously took Milton to court for non-compliance, with the court ruling in favor of the Commonwealth.
Chair Peter Spagone emphasized the need for dialogue with state legislators about potential exemptions or variances. "There's a lot of money that the town has utilized even in just the previous of the past few years that would be off the table in these circumstances," he said.
Mullen suggested coordinating with other non-compliant communities to seek clarification from the state about which funding sources could be withheld. She referenced successful collective action by fire chiefs who wrote a letter that resulted in the reversal of withheld public safety funds.
"Are there other non-compliant communities that would want to get on to a letter that we could write to the state that just asked for clarification?" Mullen asked.
The board also addressed several other business items during the meeting. They approved a sewer connection application for Cumberland Farms at 143 Bedford Street, allowing the business to connect to the municipal downtown district with a daily allocation of up to 590 gallons.
The connection represents part of the town's ongoing effort to expand sewer service to the downtown area following construction of a wastewater treatment plant for the new high school. Previous connections include CVS, Carriage Crossing, and Dewhurst Lumber.
In appointments, the board welcomed two new Finance Committee members: Jennifer Huss, an accountant at a local community bank, and Eric Cardoza, a business manager and company president from Lakeville. Both expressed commitment to helping the town navigate challenging financial times.
"These next few years are going to be certainly challenging, so I'm hoping that I can help in any way," Huss said.
The board also recognized Allison Hopkins, a Clemson University junior who completed over 160 volunteer hours with the Veterans Service Department. Hopkins, studying social service and public policy, assisted with veterans' services and passport processing during her summer internship.
Veterans Service Officer Chris Buckley praised Hopkins' initiative. "Many of the volunteers in the office are older people just looking to give back. She reached out to us. That says a lot about her and her work ethic and her leadership at a young age."
Additionally, the board reappointed Mike Travers as constable for a three-year term ending June 30, 2028. Travers, who has served as constable for over 15 years, operates South Shore Constable Services and works with the Department of Child Support Services.
"Without this appointment, I'd have to close my business," Travers explained, noting his work helping people receive court-ordered child support and alimony payments.
Looking ahead, Seelig announced plans for special town meetings in fall 2025, with the Central School project likely scheduled for November and other articles potentially placed on a separate October warrant to avoid influencing the school vote.