Voters in Vergennes voted Tuesday to support the expansion of a natural gas pipeline into their city.
Vermont Gas has asked the Public Service Board for approval to expand an existing pipeline from Chittenden to Addison County to provide service to Vergennes and Middlebury.
The Vergennes City Council voiced support for the project after a council vote last year. This week's referendum was triggered by a citizen petition asking whether city residents supported the council’s endorsement.
Mayor Bill Benton said 75 signatures were required to trigger a city-wide vote.
"He went out, he obtained over 100 signatures and basically forced a non-binding referendum vote on whether or not the city council should support Phase 1 of the gas project," Benton said.
That expansion is just phase one of a three-phase project the company hopes will bring natural gas to Rutland.
Phase two of the expansion would pipe gas under Lake Champlain to the International Paper mill in Ticonderoga, New York.
Critics say that step would provide no public good for Vermont.
Vermont Gas estimates the money International Paper will pay for the service should help the company expand service to Rutland years sooner than it otherwise could.In the end, the gas pipeline referendum passed 345 to 143.
Because the city council has already gone on the record in support of the expansion, Benton said it likely wouldn't take any further action at the next meeting.
"We’ll just announce the results, I’ll ask if anybody wants to say anything concerning it," he said. "I think at this point, we will just continue to let our letter of support ride."
Also on Tuesday, voters in Vergennes and the other towns of Addison Northwest Supervisory Union approved a $2.8 million dollar bond for improvements to Vergennes Union High School.
