A petition with 59 signatures was submitted to the Select Board on Wednesday, asking them to reconsider a decision not to apply for a Department of Energy grant to analyze the feasibility of a solar project on a small portion of school district property on Route 202.

Energy Committee member Pat Martin had previously presented the grant opportunity on May 24. At that time, the majority of the board expressed they were not interested in applying for the grant, citing discomfort with the short timeframe to apply, and that the possibility of a future solar project on school district land was a school district project, and not the responsibility of the town.

Martin approached the board again on June 21, this time with a petition, asking the board to authorize town volunteers to apply for and support an application for the grant, which is only available to municipalities.

“These types of grants come around about once per decade,” Martin said, reading from the petition. “We believe the Board of Selectman’s act, prohibiting submission of the preliminary project concept proposal was contrary to the will and financial interests of Rindge residents. Also, if it does not allow the application for a grant from the Department of Energy, we believe the Board of Selectmen is denying the opportunity to return federal taxes paid by Rindge residents back to our community, as well as inhibiting efforts to substantially reduce the School Tax burden.”

Select Board members held to their original stances, with member Karl Pruter for allowing the application to move forward and Chair Marybeth Quill and member Bob Hamilton against.

Pruter said that although the solar field would be a school project, there was benefits to the town as a whole in helping keep costs down in the district, noting that the electricity bill for the district was approximately $200,000 annually.

“I think it’s worth a discussion,” Pruter said.

Quill expressed a belief that if the solar field was built, and the district was able to actualize those savings, the district wouldn’t reduce its budget by that amount.

Hamilton agreed.

“I don’t believe for a second that if they save $200,000, that will come back to the taxpayers,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said his main objection was that the solar field was not a town, but a school district one, and that the town wouldn’t have control over it.

Energy Committee members said they had been sitting on the subcommittee that has been exploring the project, and that if there is sufficient room and infrastructure, the solar array could provide enough energy for both the district and town municipal buildings. But those details aren’t yet known, and won’t be, unless a preliminary study can be done, which is the purpose of the grant funding.

“The point of the grant is to make it a project. Currently, it’s a concept,” said Energy Committee member Richard Mellor.

Pruter disagreed that the town would have no control over the grant, noting it would be the town applying for it, and Energy Committee members administering it, noting that they were members of a town committee, not employees of the school.

Several residents voiced support for at least applying for the grant. Judy Unger Clark of Rindge said the town should take advantage of an energized committee.

“That land has had nothing on it for years,” Unger Clark said. “This could be a win-win solution. It’s going to be a lose-lose solution if we don’t move forward. It’s needed, it’s the future of these two towns – everyone complains about the school taxes.”

On the other side of the issue, resident Jim Qualey said that at just under 60 signatures, the petition represented only a sliver of Rindge voters. He agreed with the board that it wasn’t the town’s place to chase grants on behalf of the school district.

“The school district is its own municipal entity,” Qualey said. “I’m puzzled as to why it isn’t being presented to the School Board.”

Martin reiterated that this particular opportunity is for municipalities. She said Rindge has received similar grants in the past, including for street lighting and lighting at the town ball field, and said concerns about potential “stings” had never manifested in those instances.

Quill concluded the discussion by reiterating her main points.

“This is not our property. We have no control over this money, and no guarantee this money is coming back to us,” Quill said.

Pruter made a motion to allow town volunteers and committee members to apply for the Department of Energy grant, but the motion died for lack of a second. There were no other motions made.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.