Charles Bragdon - Candidate for City Council District 1

By Carol McCracken

By a unanimous vote, the city council voted to approve an amendment regarding wind anemometers in the City of Portland and the Islands.  The vote was last night.

Speaking on behalf of Promenade Towers was its attorney Bruce McGlaughlin.  The condominium is located near to East End Community School.  The city has proposed erecting a wind anemometer on the School property, which is close to the condoninium’s property.   Owners of the condominium are opposed to the construction of a wind anemometer near them that will inevitably lead to the erection of a wind turbine.  He criticized the city for ignoring the legitimate concerns of the residents at the Towers.  The city should try to avoid the mistakes that have been made in the past and not try to repeat them.  There are adverse health problems involved as well to be considered.

A member of the original building committee for the EECS was present and spoke in favor of the ordinance.  Nini McManamy said she wasn’t afraid of health or noise problems because those issues apply only to windfarms.  Each of the two projects involved herein are single wind testing equipment which could lead to single wind turbines only.  Charles Bragdon spoke in support of the wind testng saying:  “We owe it to our next generaton.  We need to leave a green world to the next generation.”  Bragdon has announced his candidacy to run against incumbent Kevin J. Donoghue for the city council seat District 1 in November.  He owns a taxi company.

In the interim, the grant for the wind testing equipment on the Hill to be provided by Public Utilities Commission – Efficiency Maine Group – may have expired.  According to Doug Sherwood, facilities director for the public schools, he’ll have to go back and ask them:  “Where do we stand now?  Do we reapply now?   Where are we in the process”?