DIXFIELD — Votes were still being counted late Tuesday night to determine the results of Dixfield’s referendum ballot, including an article that would repeal the town’s Wind Energy Facility Ordinance and replace it with an amended draft.
Tuesday’s vote on the wind ordinance was the latest in a long series of votes stretching back to 2012.
Patriot Renewables of Quincy, Mass., approached Dixfield officials five years ago about constructing wind turbines on the Colonel Holman Mountain ridge.
In November 2012, townspeople voted to approve a wind ordinance, drafted by Norine Clarke and Stephen Donahue, who served on the Board of Selectmen at the time.
In early 2013, selectmen voted to send the draft to the Planning Board and tasked them with amending some of the language. In August 2014, voters approved a six-month moratorium to give the Planning Board more time to complete revisions, and extended the moratorium another six months in January.
The Planning Board brought its recommendations to selectmen, who made revisions and put it on the November 2014 ballot. The article called for repealing the original ordinance and adopting the amended version. Voters rejected it, 553-567.
That prompted selectmen to remove the amendments they made and put the Planning Board’s original draft on the June 9 ballot.
Townspeople also voted Tuesday night on a $2.3 million municipal budget, $133,000 more than the previous year.
Selectmen Scott Belskis and Hart Daley were seeking re-election against former Town Manager Eugene Skibitsky and Donahue.
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