August 12, 2008

 

Board member resigns from Electric City Power

By RICHARD ECKE
Tribune Staff Writer

Resigning member Dawn Willey said serving on the Electric City Power board has taken an unexpected turn due to a bruising debate over a proposed coal-fired power plant.

"It continues to surprise me how nasty individuals and groups can get if they don't agree with your position on an issue," Willey told fellow board members in an e-mail recently.

Willey said after Monday evening's board meeting she was tired of hearing "a lot of accusations and innuendo that you can't really respond to."

So Willey has announced plans to resign, effective after the board's next meeting Sept. 8. Former Mayor Randy Gray quit this summer as well, citing scheduling conflicts, leaving the city with two openings on the five-member board by mid-September.

Board members plan to go through applications for replacements at the next meeting, before the City Commission picks the new members.

Monday's evening contained an example of rude behavior Willey was talking about, board member Bob Pancich said.

Attorney Stuart Lewin, a power-plant critic, urged the board not to accept the resignation of any member, accusing the board of "self-dealing" and "fraudulent practices." In the past, Lewin has criticized some board members and city officials for taking part in a city pilot program that provides lower-cost electricity to about 20 mainly residential power users.

Power board member Bill Ryan, with a smile, asked Lewin if he was offering legal advice to the board.

"I wouldn't represent this board for anything," Lewin replied. Then the Great Falls lawyer walked out of the meeting, a move he often makes at city meetings after giving a speech.

Ryan, who has served as a state legislator, appeared to take the criticism in stride. "It takes everybody's opinions," Ryan said. "They're trying to do the best that they can."

However, Ryan admitted he cringes when people offer uninformed opinions, or aggressively attack.

"Sometimes, they're just there to try to harm," Ryan said.

Pancich scored Lewin's approach.

"I don't appreciate him calling our fellow board members thieves and crooks," he said. "That's nonsense."

Plenty of people don't run for City Commission or schools boards or other posts because "they don't want to take the guff," Pancich added. "You try to give it your best shot. Let's be civil about it."

Plant opponent Jerry Taylor Monday evening expressed little sympathy for the board members, saying they are "breaking their own rules and regulations" and should be "called on the carpet for it." The power utility is not supposed to operate at a loss, for example, and Gray and Willey were criticized for missing meetings.

Taylor said people who can't stand the heat "better get out of the kitchen," noting Gray and Willey are doing that. Taylor said he doesn't think plant opponents "have ever been rude," although he said critics might be "a little bit too harsh" on rare occasions.

Taylor defended Lewin's criticism as "right on target."

At the board meeting, city Fiscal Officer Coleen Balzarini said her office is spending large amounts of staff time trying to comply with a court order to provide draft documents to power-plant opponents under a recent state district court order. She said attorneys for various sides agreed Monday on a procedure that may help determine what documents will be released. Southern Montana Electric Generation & Transmission Cooperative, the plant developer, has told the city not to release trade secrets or proprietary information.

Accountant Larry Rezentes accused SME of trying to use "attack dogs" to try to regain information the city might have prematurely released under the court order, and of "attempting to intimidate the citizens of Great Falls."

After the meeting, SME General Manager Tim Gregori said the developers "haven't sought any ratings at this point" to help finance the $800 million power-plant project. At a June power board meeting, Gregori had said he hoped the developers would secure ratings from two Wall Street firms this summer.

He and Balzarini expressed confidence the project is progressing, although Pancich noted the plant's state air quality permit will expire in November without an extension. Balzarini said it's possible the permit could gain an extension.