Dateline 25 January 2012
Our town hall was jam-packed with concerned citizens on the evening of the public meeting, which was held to get feedback from Sempronius residents concerning hydrofracking in the town. It was great to see such a turnout. There were people there whose ancestors originally settled this area, and there were people who have settled here in recent years. There were farmers and homesteaders, and there were blue-collar professionals. There were gray-haired retirees, and there were young folks too. There was even a baby in the front row, until he (or she) started fussing (it wasn't clear how the baby felt about hydrofracking). Sempronius is truly a diverse community.
There was some drama early in the meeting when an ill-tempered man from the adjoining town of Summerhill stood to speak. He had a cane which, at one point, he aimed and shook angrily at a man in the front row. When I realized he was from another town, I turned to Supervisor Kevin Court and asked if we were allowing people from other towns to speak. This had been discussed at our January town board meeting and it was decided that only town residents would speak. That was what the newspaper notices clearly stated. Kevin verified that fact and I asked if I should interrupt and tell the man. He gave me the nod of approval and that's what I did.
Well, the ill-tempered man got even more ill-tempered when I did that. We ended up letting him speak, and, though I was well within reach of his cane, I'm relieved to report that he did not whack me with it (he spoke in favor of fracking in Sempronius).
Many people (who actually do live in Sempronius) expressed their opinions about fracking in a thoughtful and respectful manner. It was democracy in action and it was a beautiful thing. One person who kept a tally reports that 12 people spoke in favor of a hydrofracking moratorium and 6 against doing anything (I believe two of the 12 actually asked the board to enact a ban).
I explained to the group that if we enact a moratorium, the board might want to appoint a citizen committee to study the issue and report to the board, as has been done, and is now being done, in other towns. With that in mind, I asked if anyone in the audience would be willing to invest the time and effort to serve on such a committee. Several hands were raised and that was very good to see.
The only other drama of the night was when one of my fellow board members got visibly upset with another board member (me). He raised his voice and pointed his finger at me, making accusations and statements about the seminar we had attended two days earlier that I felt were not true. When I politely corrected him, he got even louder and angrier, and I didn't press the matter.
I've served on the Sempronius town board for 12 years. My fellow board member has been there a lot longer than me. We have always gotten along well and I have always had a lot of respect for him. That's why his angry outburst surprised me, but I know he has strong feelings about this issue, and I suppose it is understandable.
This issue of hydrofracking in a community can be very divisive. Not only does shale get fractured, but long-time friendships get fractured as neighbors polarize around the pro-fracking and anti-fracking positions. No matter how this issue works itself out, I'm determined not to make it personal, and not to have hard feelings towards anyone who disagrees with me.
I will endeavor to do what I feel is best and right for all the people in this town, based primarily on the actual safety record of hydrofracking. In other words, is it sufficiently safe for the community as a whole? That is what I am trying to understand and, believe me, I'm spending a lot of hours looking into this matter. I would greatly appreciate the findings from a committee of concerned citizens that are willing to put a report together for the board. That is why I am in favor of a moratorium. I trust that a group of local people who honestly examine this matter will be able to come to some very helpful conclusions.
I will endeavor to do what I feel is best and right for all the people in this town, based primarily on the actual safety record of hydrofracking. In other words, is it sufficiently safe for the community as a whole? That is what I am trying to understand and, believe me, I'm spending a lot of hours looking into this matter. I would greatly appreciate the findings from a committee of concerned citizens that are willing to put a report together for the board. That is why I am in favor of a moratorium. I trust that a group of local people who honestly examine this matter will be able to come to some very helpful conclusions.
The meeting pretty much drew to a close after junior high school student (and Sempronius resident), Brandon Damico, stood to address the board. Brandon expressed himself very well. I was pleased to see someone from the younger generation not only take an interest in this matter, but actually participate in the discussion.
In the final analysis, I left the meeting a little discouraged that some residents did not see the wisdom of a moratorium. On the other hand, I 'm very glad that man with the cane does not live in our town. :-)