But where will they go?
A panel of about 9 OG&E reps reviewed plans, addressed questions, listened to concerns, and debated some of the 350 Piedmont residents at the First Baptist Church on Monday, April 18th. I, unfortunately, was not able to attend. So please understand that I glean my thoughts on this event from the perspective provided in the Piedmont-Surrey Gazette (thanks for the great recap guys!). What I and others would love to hear is your perspective. If you were away on business like me, you may just want to participate in sharing your thoughts. Please keep it professional, but this doesn't mean emotions can't be expressed. This is an emotional as well as financial topic. If you read the Gazette's story, you'll learn that Skyler Ridge resident Julie Riggs has a very personal and very emotional story to tell. In one way or another, this is our only opportunity to have a voice in this discussion. Once construction begins, the path and the intent of these power lines are destined for completion.
So here are my own personal thoughts.
Wait... need to do something first. Disclaimer: My opinions are not endorsed or supported by the Piedmont City Government, the Planning Piedmont's Progress initiative or the Citizens / Community Collaboration (C3) Committee. They are solely those of the Blog Writer... Ok. got that out of the way.
Back to my thoughts... First of all, I love that so many Piedmont residents went to this town hall meeting. I think it is vitally important that as much of the population play a part in its future to ensure we can appreciate what we become. 350 residents out of somewhere around 6,000 residents isn't huge, but when it takes reserving a large room at the First Baptist Church, it's big for Piedmont.
As for the topic at hand, I see it from a few perspectives. First is from the perspective of those those folks that will have power lines close to their home... that sucks! I mean, putting the health concerns aside, these power lines do make noise. A lot of folks in Piedmont moved here because they want to enjoy the peace and quite of country life (not the music genre... the life). God bless them if they have to find their peace with nature amongst a crackling power line. Then, of course, there are the hotly debated health concerns. I tend to support Dr. Corman and the surveys noted in the Piedmont-Surrey Gazette article, but I've also done my research, and though it is doubtful there are health risks, it doesn't seem to be proven beyond all reasonable doubt. These two items alone trigger an emotional response... loss of peace and quite and perceived risk of health (perception is what matters). What seems more clear to me, is that this does have an impact on property values, despite what was suggested by Paul Renfrow, OG&E VP of Public Affairs (not the decision makers... he is the head of a group responsible for understanding citizens concerns and making proposals to, ultimately, the CEO of OG&E). If you've read my previous blog posts, you've likely seen the report related to the impact on property values that power lines have in a much larger study than the one conducted by an Edmond realtor (no offense to him). Not absolutely difinitive, but it convinces me.
What will this do to Piedmont? This is the other perspective I have. I'm still relatively new to Piedmont (since late 2005). And although I feel I'm pretty involved in the community, I don't really know the lay of the land as well as I should yet. I've come to find that Piedmont's land area is much larger than I ever expected when I first moved here. I just loved the house we were getting and new the schools were great... plus, a little peace and quite. :) So you guys tell me. Will this truly divide Piedmont in some way? I sure hope not.
Finally, I can't help to get a little patriotic myself from time to time (Army Veteran - '91-'96). So the crisis related to foreign energy and war do weigh on my mind. I'm a daily listener of NPR, so I just can't help to be concerned about it. What sacrifices will we have to make to get off of foreign dependence to sustain our energy needs and the economy that supports it? These are tough questions for some tough people, but the results may impact masses. Of course, doing nothing will allow the economy of foreign countries to impact us. Again... my opinion.
I can't help to see it as some amount of progress from a world perspective. Our town motto is Winds of Progress. Windmills are what we represent! If wind power is what is going through these lines, and it is coming through Piedmont to some how reduce our dependence and be able to bring our troops home, let's do our best to limit the impact and embrace the change that will come. I love Piedmont. It is and will continue to be my home for a long time. And I also love Oklahoma and our country. Let's do right by them too.
Big business... hmmm. This is always a toughy. You know I've never heard anything bad about OG&E. Sure there are months I get my bill and want to cuss them, but I usually know it's right... left the lights on too often, that sort of thing. But I don't see them as an unethical company. I would have liked to be at the town hall meeting just to hear the way Paul Renfrow addressed the crowd. There's a lot you can learn from the sincerity in someone's voice. The Gazette didn't seem to have an opinion on it, so feel free to give me yours. In general, I support business. Business, whether small or huge, is what runs our country's economy. I have to believe that most are successful because they are ethical. Karma just wouldn't allow otherwise. So, if OG&E truly does take another look at the paths through Piedmont they have on the table and work with us... whether the results end up the same or not... I have to believe a partnership with Piedmont will work best for Piedmont. But only if someone is ensuring this second look occurs.
Well... that's about it. I'm sure I'm not alone in having mixed feelings on this topic. It's a tough one. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Mayor Mike Fina also asked me to ask all of you to please stop by the George Fina Munipal Bldg to complete a survey on this topic. You can find contact information for this location in our Business Directory. Great opportunity to express your opinion. I will also be asking the Mayor if we could put the survey on this website. If so, you can have your say from the comfort of your home!
Take care Piedmont!
Mike