Chris Perry Column: Finally, I Think We Have The Votes

After the Select Board’s recent press conference outlining their corrected course of action with Vineyard Wind, I needed a few days to collect my thoughts.

Honestly, I can’t say that I had any expectations one way or the other, but after almost three years of covering this boondoggle, I have to admit that I was skeptical.

Strategically, it was a wise move by the Select Board to go public with their demands. While much of the give and take between former Select Board chair Brooke Mohr and Cultural Heritage Partner's Greg Werkheiser appeared to be rehearsed, I believe the Select Board finally realized that they needed to do something - anything - to change the narrative and make themselves relevant again.

In the end, what bothered the Select Board members the most wasn’t the fact that they have ignored the people of Nantucket with their track record of refusing to engage the local community. In an ironic twist of fate, what bothered the Select Board the most was admitting that they were being ignored by Vineyard Wind, and now the shoe was on the other foot.

In turn, the Select Board responded with a list of 15 demands, which all sounded great. But realistically, they are essentially toothless without a practical enforcement arm in place.

Moreover, a number of their demands were already in the original Good Neighbor Agreement, and we all know how well that has worked. So when the Select Board demands that Vineyard Wind “present updates and take public questions at Select Board meetings upon request," it rings hypocritically hollow when they have repeatedly stifled public debate on this matter.

With the Select Board drawing a line in the sand with Tuesday’s deadline, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope something comes of their demands. Nevertheless, they needed to jolt the status quo if they wanted to be heard, and with Cultural Heritage Partners holding their hand, tomorrow we should know if Vineyard Wind is listening or if the Select Board is being ignored like the constituency they supposedly represent.

Until that blade drops, it is easy for us to get caught up in the potential euphoria of Vineyard Wind acquiescing to all 15 demands. Frankly, I’d jump up and down if they agreed to just two of them. However, what dulls my spirit is the Select Board’s reluctance to include any “demand” for money covering deconstruction. Without addressing that issue, the net result is that Nantucket’s children and their children’s children will be staring at wind turbine statues over 800 feet tall on Nantucket’s horizon as permanent reminders of a failed agenda.

Having said that, there is hope.

There is hope that, for the first time, I think we have the votes.

Based on what I've seen and heard last week, I believe we have the votes on the Select Board to exit the Good Neighbor Agreement.

Before predicting the “yays," let’s handicap the "nays."

Select Board member Brooke Mohr is a hard no.

I don’t see Mohr voting against her comrades in Boston. I believe there has been tremendous pressure on Nantucket’s Select Board by state officials and Cultural Heritage Partners to stay the course. With mounting pressure from the Trump administration against offshore wind projects, it would be a nationwide story if Nantucket broke from the Good Neighbor Agreement at this point. Mohr has invested a considerable amount of political capital trying to keep this ship from sinking, and she does not want a mutiny on her resume now. Mohr is a nay by saying yay to Nantucket’s continued participation in the Good Neighbor Agreement.

Select Board member Tom Dickson is a no.

As the former liaison for state Representative Dylan Fernandes, I don’t think Dickson is going to cross the line and vote against one of Fernandes’ pet projects. Fernandes has been an outspoken supporter of wind farms off Nantucket’s south shore and endorsed Bill H.3302, which promoted offshore wind energy. With an eye towards bigger political prizes, Dickson is not burning any bridges.

I think Select Board member Malcom MacNab is a hard yes.

From his body language at recent Select Board meetings and through the tone of his inquisitive comments, I sense MacNab is frustrated with the Select Board’s continued support of the Good Neighbor Agreement. MacNab has not publicly advocated to pull out of the GNA, but the stars and moon are lining up for him to remove the weight off his shoulders. Rumor has it that MacNab will not seek re-election next year, so the timing is perfect to leave with a bang.

I think Select Board Chairperson Dawn Hill is a yes.

There has been an obvious change to Hill's tone and demeanor over the last few months with regard to the Good Neighbor Agreement. As more information has come to light and reality has set in, one of the original signers of the Good Neighbor Agreement on behalf of the town of Nantucket clearly has second thoughts. In fact, at last week’s press conference, when asked if she would have signed the Good Neighbor Agreement then knowing what she knows today, her answer was an emphatic “No."

I think Select Board member Matt Fee is a soft yes.

Fee continued his frustrating practice of flip-flopping after saying “he wouldn’t do anything differently” at a recent community forum, followed by admitting he “would not sign the Good Neighbor Agreement today” at last week’s press conference. With Werkheiser trying to shut down the question, Fee’s response was not what Werkheiser wanted to hear, as Cultural Heritage Partner’s hypnotic hold on the Select Board may be cracking.

As one of the two Select Board members still on board from the original 2020 signing, I believe Fee does not want his legacy to be told as the one who invited Vineyard Wind into our community, then fought hard to keep them here. Fee knows who butters his Portuguese bread toast, and in the end, I predict the Nantucket native grudgingly votes to exit the agreement.

Once the smoke cleared from last week’s press conference, it was crystal clear that the two Select Board members who originally supported the Good Neighbor Agreement in 2020 are now on record as having second thoughts. With the potential of MacNab jumping on board to create a voting majority, it begs the question:

Why is Nantucket still an active member of the Good Neighbor Agreement today?

Greg Werkheiser of Cultural Heritage Partners will tell you it’s about leverage and “the ability to enforce the expectations of the contract." However, when Werkheiser and Mohr were pressed for examples of “leverage” that the town has used since the blade failure over 12 months ago, no specifics were offered. This type of vague response further cements the reality of the situation and confirms that Nantucket’s “leverage” was eviscerated when the Select Board originally signed the Good Neighbor Agreement and walked away from the federal process.

Don’t be fooled by Cultural Heritage Partner’s rhetoric. Until someone can explain to me how staying in this toxic relationship with Vineyard Wind puts Nantucket in a position of strength, I will remain skeptical of the present legal strategy and wonder if there is an ulterior motive.

As a community, we have the right to ask that question. When communities such as Cape May, NJ, muster the courage to be part of a coordinated effort that ultimately resulted in the Danish offshore wind company, Orsted, abandoning its Ocean Wind projects, I have to question if Nantucket’s passive approach has prevented us from gaining the upper hand.

It’s time for a vote.

If nothing else, it is time to publicly poll our elected officials to see if they believe Nantucket should remain a beacon of support for Vineyard Wind’s agenda that has produced debris on our beaches and angst in our community, or should we exit the Good Neighbor Agreement.

I think the votes are there. And like Nantucket itself, it’s time to stand up and be counted.