Oakham Conservation OKs Final $500 for Consultant
Conservation · Meeting of September 23, 2026
Oakham Conservation Commission closes out a $7,000 consultant bill and heads toward a state hearing on a contested battery project. Members voted unanimously to pay the final $500 of a $2,000 balance owed to water resources consultant Scott Horsley for peer review work on a Coldbrook Road battery storage proposal, then separately approved the full $2,000 by voice vote. One member said "I did promise that I would not vote for anything over $500... and we ended up with $7,000," while another defended the cost, saying it "would not be fair to Mr.
Horsley" to withhold payment for completed work. Members also sparred over whether the Board of Selectmen has authority over the commission's fee-funded wetland account. A state Department of Environmental Protection hearing on a superseding order appeal of the commission's denial is set for September 29 at 2:30 p.m.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,455 words
Source: the Conservation meeting of September 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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