Pembroke residents, sitting in folding metal chairs 10 feet apart at Saturday’s town meeting, metaphorically joined hands to honor longtime volunteer and local doctor Vincent Greco for his decades of service. He was named Pembroke’s Outstanding Citizen.
Then, near the end of the 90-minute meeting, those same chairs seemed to spread further apart when an article seeking to charge fossil-fuel producers a fee for carbon pollution led to the longest discussion of the morning.
In fact, that was the lone article rejected on the 11-article warrant by voters in the Pembroke Academy gymnasium, where the proposed budget of $8.71 million passed easily. That raised property taxes 3.6%, to $5.68 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Elsewhere, voters said yes to distributing $610,000 to numerous capital reserve funds.
Passing Article 6 meant that $320,000 from a 2021 surplus will go toward a split body trash and recycling truck. That prompted discussion about single-streaming, and a solution, like the one used in Weare, in which residents deliver their stuff to the local recycling center. That would replace curbside pickup.
Gerry Fleury, chair of the solid waste advisory committee, calmed fears by assuring residents that more than one governing body had researched the issue.
“The time and need to replace that truck is now,” Fleury declared.
That bill also passed easily. Not so with the Article 9, which sought to inject passion into the fight against what was documented as “climate inaction.”
“To protect households,” the article said in part, “we support a carbon fee and dividend approach that charges fossil fuel producers for their carbon pollution and rebates the money collected to all residents on an equal basis.”
Voters immediately poked holes in the article, because of the ongoing dispute among some that climate change even exists, as well as a lack of time invested in studying the idea.
“This should not be talked about here,” Marc Dumont said. “Someone might believe in this stuff, and the data says otherwise.”
Richard Wengenroth came prepared. He read from a script and he spoke without notes. “Not even the fossil fuel companies deny this,” Wengenroth said, referring to climate change. “The problem is real, and the experts say this is the way (to solve it).”
Dumont later reiterated his disbelief in climate change, claiming that most scientists “agree that is false.”
The international community of climate scientists has reached a consensus that recent warming trends are “extremely likely due to human activities,” according to NASA.
Fleury was one of two officials who made their thoughts known. He said he believes in climate change, but added that the problem might be irreversible, and large-scale efforts like Article 10 are more symbolic than anything else.
“It’s not going to happen,” Fleury said, Referring to fixing climate change. “It’s full of holes. “I can’t support this.”
A woman mentioned she was skeptical that state government would follow through with its pledge to distribute the rebates on an “equal basis.”
Karen Yeaton, a select board representative, also acknowledge that she would not be raising her card to signify she approves of the article, which asked elected officials, both state and federal, “to enact carbon pricing legislation to protect New Hampshire from the costs and environmental risks of continued climate action.”
Yeaton said she had no problem with what the article said, but rushing something so important and controversial through a town meeting was “Undemocratic. You take five minutes to make such an important decision.”
No such conflicted feelings surfaced at the start of the meeting, when town clerk Jim Goff read from a prepared statement, praising Greco for his volunteer work on numerous committees and boards.
Goff mentioned that his father had met Greco in 1963, before Greco, a chiropractor, had even established his practice in Pembroke.
Both were new to town. They became fast friends, the bond still going strong after 46 years.
“In that first meeting, Doc and my father talked about everything from how they both happened to pick Pembroke to live, family, education, Italian heritage and cars.”
Greco was called to the lectern to receive a clock from the town. Everyone in the folding chairs, about 40 people, stood in unison as Greco moved to the front.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice cracking.