Our Response

An employee of the city of Orono had told me to remove my footing and threatened me with criminal prosecution (shouldn't any legal threat from a public institution come from their lawyer?).  It was time to reinforce my position and respond in such a manner as to fend off the arbitrary harassment I was under. I found  appropriate legal representation and we put together a response letter defending my right  to go green on my private property. We also point out the vagaries in the city ordinances and building permit denial.  Further, we point out the lack of city enforcement on other similar items which populate the city. The following list highlights the basis of our response:

• the city staff did no due diligence on the issue presented them
• the city of Orono has had plenty of time to develop renewable energy ordinances
• the reasons for denial were nonsensical and did not apply
• a city cannot arbitrarily deny everything it cannot think of
• the city of Orono allows variances to gain access to sunlight, thus declaring renewable energy a right
• similar items are located throughout the city even though they are not allowed by the zoning code
• basketball hoops
• light poles
• hot tubs
• bug zappers
• hot tubs
• and more...

I ran the letter by my wife, we signed it and sent it off on Dec 6, 2010.  I also sent a copy via certified mail (as Melanie had done to me) to ensure they could not say they did not get it, it was delivered on Dec 6 as well.

To this day, March 6, 2011, I have not received a response to my letter from the city.  Yet I have had the police in my yard taking pictures over a property issue and the city of Orono exceeded it's authority (illegally?) by trying to stop an approved stated electrical inspection.

One has to wonder what is going on behind closed doors up at city hall.....


GreenMan