Select Board, Health Board Map Out BESS Review
Select Board · Meeting of September 21, 2026
Southwick's Select Board and Board of Health drafted a shared checklist to coordinate how town departments will review battery energy storage system applications. Board of Health Chair Terry Putnam said the document, which does not replace the formal permitting process, aims to keep applicants from bouncing between boards, while members agreed the town's chief administrative office, not a new subcommittee, will coordinate reviews to meet a roughly one-year state decision deadline. Resident Marcus Phelps urged the boards to settle zoning authority and siting questions first, noting storage "don't have to be located where the energy is generated." Separately, the board accepted a $32,800 state grant plus a $10,000 match for two culvert upgrades, a $45,000 state grant for zoning bylaw work, and approved a one-day liquor license for Vicennial Brewing, while postponing a decision on FY27 snow-plow rates amid diesel prices "topping five dollars a gallon, heading towards six."
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,560 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of September 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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