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Lingering questions delay Ashland's clean energy plan Thursday Nov 3, 2016 at 5:57 PM By Julie Akins for the Mail Tribune Ashland city councilors traded barbs Tuesday over the “10x20” initiative, which requires the city to produce 10 percent of the electricity used in the city from new, local and clean sources by the year 2020. The city adopted the plan on Sept. 6 when councilors sensed the proposal would have enough votes to pass should it go to the Nov. 8 general election ballot. The proposal did not make the ballot. Councilor Carol Voisin, who is challenging John Stromberg for the mayor’s office, and 10x20 organizer Dave Helmich expressed concern delays could hurt the implantation of the energy plan. “The council will figure out how to overturn the ordinance by letting it twist slowly in the wind," Voisin said. Staff had been directed to find answers for implementation by the council, but have not yet made a full report. Voisin asked City Administrator Dave Kanner to clear up any questions about the ability of the city to respond to questions from citizens and councilors. “What expertise does the staff have regarding renewable energy sources and municipal level sources of energy?” Voisin asked. Kanner quipped that staff had as much expertise as the people who brought the petition to the city and perhaps more. Kanner and Stromberg, as well as Councilor Rich Rosenthal, who sits on the city’s energy committee, suggested that it’s better to wait for third-party experts to answer some of the questions in order to be certain the information is accurate and practical. The mayor suggested he would be meeting with Rosenthal and third-party experts and report back to the city at its next study session on Nov. 15. “We do not want questions that delay the project, but these are some of the questions we will work on while getting the project started,” the mayor said. Voisin said the process began in early September and time is “wasting away.” She suggested that questions are being asked without really pursuing answers. She requested a firm deadline for the beginning of implementation. Stromberg assured the council and public that the city is serious about implementing the 10x20 plan. Councilor Pam Marsh also expressed concern about moving forward quickly. Rosenthal responded that he agreed questions need to be answered as quickly as possible. In order to get questions answered and the process moving more quickly, the mayor suggested the council begin its next business meeting on Nov. 16 one hour early so they can move through the questions and get the proposal firmed up with timelines. The council agreed to begin that meeting at 6 p.m. Among the issues will be discussion of how the implementation of the plan may affect low-income residents. The plan, first started by citizens in a petition, directs that low-income residents not be adversely affected. There are 10 major questions to be answered, according to a compilation by city staff, before the process of planning implantation can begin. Among them is a key question: “What is the total renewable energy potential in the city?” The full list of questions can be found at the City Council’s website at www.ashland.or.us/Agendas.asp. Email Ashland freelance writer Julie Akins at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/@julieakins.