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Hopkinton supervisor calls out two councilors for meeting with wind company while she was on vacation

Posted 5/22/18

By MATT LINDSEY HOPKINTON -- The town supervisor called out Two Hopkinton Town Council members for meeting with wind company officials while she was vacationing in Florida. Town Supervisor Susan Wood …

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Hopkinton supervisor calls out two councilors for meeting with wind company while she was on vacation

Posted

By MATT LINDSEY

HOPKINTON -- The town supervisor called out Two Hopkinton Town Council members for meeting with wind company officials while she was vacationing in Florida.

Town Supervisor Susan Wood said she was made aware that a meeting was held between council members Sue Lyon and Steve Parker and Avangrid officials less than five minutes before the May 21 board meeting.

“I asked them at the end of the meeting if this was correct and Steve Parker confirmed they had met when I was in Florida,” Wood said. “I reminded him that he was asked to include both Kelly Pullano and myself and it was to be a public meeting.”

Wood said Parker told her the meeting was to compare calendars and get a meeting scheduled, and that he and Lyon were only doing that with which Wood had tasked them.

“It should be noted that I was in Florida for five days and returned on May 8, and nothing has been mentioned to me nor Kelly about meeting or any possible future dates regarding the public meeting,” Wood said. “He appeared to be upset and informed me that this could have been asked of him without bringing it forth during the public meeting.”

Parker has been supportive of the wind farm since it was presented to the town. Lyon was a bit of a wildcard, having changed her stance a couple times. Lyon originally convinced board members she would support the wind law as presented by the Wind Advisory Board, and then changed her mind right before the wind law vote April 16.

Lyon had not made her fellow council members aware that she was changing her vote, which came as a shock to Pullano and Wood, and drew an uproar from an audience who have attended meetings about the disputatious issue for over a year.

Parker and Lyon both approved the law just 10 days after they both voted down the same exact law.

Wood said she was informed the recent meeting between Avangrid, Parker and Lyon was to discuss future meeting dates.

There appears to be some trust issues between Wood and council members Lyon and Parker.

“My feelings are that if I hadn't mentioned it at the meeting, we still would not be informed of the meeting,” Wood said. “No further information was given.”

Wood said she has had no recent contact with Avangrid officials about future meetings, the wind law or otherwise.

“As indicated, I am waiting to hear from Mr. Parker and Ms. Lyon regarding dates for a public meeting,” Wood said.