ROCKLAND, Maine — The Rockland City Council voted Monday night to postpone final action on proposed ordinances that would regulate energy plants.
The vote came after the city’s largest taxpayer and the head of the local chamber of commerce expressed reservations about whether the regulations would adversely impact existing businesses.
Councilors also agreed to postpone the vote to allow a new councilor to vote on the measure. A special election is being held Tuesday to fill a rare vacancy on the City Council.
Adam Ackor of Old County Road and Michael Herbert of Mechanic Street are on the ballot for the seat vacated in early March by William Jillson, who resigned, citing the inability to work with other councilors or the city manager.
Final votes on the energy ordinances are scheduled for July 11. Councilors also said they wanted to hold a workshop to go over the specific concerns of parties before that July meeting.
Supporters of the ordinances turned out Monday night to voice support for the proposal that has been worked on for the past four months by the Planning Board and Energy Advisory Committee, assisted by two consulting engineers.
Resident Eileen Wilkinson praised what the committees developed.
“This may be the most finest crafted ordinance ever written in Rockland,” she said.
Energy committee member Nate Davis said the committees did not go into this process looking to prevent new energy projects by any business or the development of new power plants. The goal was to make sure there was not a negative impact on the community by any energy projects.
Resident Alexander Shaw said the city should be proud of being a leader in environmental issues with the proposed regulations.
However, Jeff Hamilton, the general manager of FMC, said he still has concerns over some of the wording of the ordinances. He said when current councilors are gone, the meaning of the proposed regulations may not be remembered or interpreted the same way.
Hamilton said his concerns include whether new lower noise standards would impact the carrageenan manufacturing plant. He said the company some day could want to switch to a co-generation energy system that would produce steam and electricity and that the proposed regulations on air emissions and water usage could make that project more difficult.
Tom Peaco, the executive director of the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, also voiced caution about imposing any additional regulations on existing businesses.
Erik Laustsen, who has served on the Planning Board for 30 years — 25 as its chairman — defended the ordinances.
“I’m tired of the city being called anti-business,” Laustsen said.
He said in his 30 years on the board, he can recall only one applicant being rejected.
The proposed ordinances were made in response to a proposal last year by Rockland Energy Center LLC to build a natural-gas fired plant in the city that would generate electricity and steam. The council approved in January a moratorium on energy plants so the new regulations could be crafted.
Rockland Energy originally sought to purchase the city-owned property, where City Hall and public services facilities are located, but company spokesman Evan Coleman said in December the firm found private property on which the plant could be built. The location of that property was never divulged by the company, and no further plans have been revealed.