Home Rule On Wind PILOT Agreements - He Was For It, Before He Was Against It, Before He Was For It!!!

There is a debate going on the JLL blog as to whether our town board will use a denial of a PILOT tax agreement as the last defense against Article X if an A-10 siting board allows BP to site a wind complex here in Cape Vincent.

Here is a commenter from the  JLL blog:

“Art said, " I doubt seriously there will be any denial of a PILOT or of road agreements either as 9:25 suggests, that is far to radical a move."

Hirschey, Bragdon and others helped guide the PILOT process for Jefferson County communities so that town's get to vote. The county as well votes on PILOTs and they are less inclined to go along with a PILOT than they did years back with the Galloo Island fiasco. For anyone to say they doubt seriously anyone will deny a PILOT is preposterous given the attitude of the current town board - no way in hell will they endorse a PILOT for BP. Perhaps Art missed the PILOT discussion while home in Arizona.”

Really!!!!....Well if you didn’t read this WDT article read it now at this link:

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20120108/NEWS03/701089885

Now does anything strike you funny here?  Well it should!  I even picked it out all the way out there in old "Arizony" !!! A quote from the WDT article:

The underlining is mine.

“In November 2010, the board agreed to some changes to the policy that included a requirement to have all PILOTs approved by all taxing jurisdictions, with the sole exception of a standard PILOT of 15 years or less for a manufacturing project.

But recently, after difficulties in negotiations for PILOTs on housing and a rail spur into West Carthage, the JCIDA staff and board had decided they might need the power as a negotiating tool.

The board’s acceptance of the proposal for distribution to all taxing jurisdictions in the county and a public hearing originally appeared to pass on a 4-1 vote, with Mr. Docteur opposing. But board member Urban C. Hirschey minutes later decided to vote against it.

“I’d just as soon postpone it until we have the chance to know more,” he said.

Mr. Hirschey was a member of the committee that worked on the new language.”

WTF!!!!!!

So I have some inconvenient questions for the commenter from JLL.  You want to explain to me why Mr. Hirschey apparently voted FOR a JCIDA resolution in Jan 2012 that would have REMOVED his town’s ability to vote on a PILOT, and force it on his own town and others under wind threat and then only at the last minute changed his vote????!!!!  Why even consider supporting that resolution AT ALL!!!????  You want to explain to me why Mr. Hirschey sat on a committee to formulate language for this resolution that would allow the JCIDA to force a PILOT on his town?  Then he says he wants to postpone it till he knows more.  You want to explain to me what MORE there is to know about FORCING a PILOT on communities that don’t want them basically taking away the communities home rule rights on the PILOT issue???? Gee to me that smells exactlylike an Article X type preemption of home rule!!!    At least County Leg. Docteur used some good judgment and voted against this nonsense.  So what was Hirschey originally voting for? Did he not understand the resolution???  I doubt it since he sat on the committee that formed the language!!!

This is our own town supervisor we are talking about here, who appeared  was willing to throw his community right under the PILOT bus!!!!  You still confident our board will vote against a PILOT as a last defense?  Doesn’t make me warm and fuzzy, especially when I also see very little enthusiasm from our board thinking the Article X decision is the end game and that is IT!!! 

Well if they are going to roll over for whatever Article X decides I am guessing they will roll over at that point and say…well we might as well  get the money!!!

And you are talking about “the board” as if they have minds of their own.  Well let me enlighten you to something.  I was sitting in a meeting recently with Mr. Hirschey and Councilman Byrne and the town attorney.  I asked  Byrne directly if the town board would be willing to pass a resolution opposing Article X like the County did, and then as a protest refuse to send delegates to the Article X siting board if BP applies. His response was that they would have to talk to the rest of the  board because "they work as a team”   Yup,  and I think I know exactly how that  works.  Geees...and people accuse Dave and I of thinking alike on everything!!!

Like I said…I doubt seriously this board will refuse a PILOT as a last defense for this community.  They are stuck on one zoning law, and then it appears they won’t even defend  that after the fact against a terrible A-10 decision. 

And here is a link to the JLL report of this JCIDA vote in Jan 2012.

http://jeffersonleaningleft.blogspot.com/2012/01/jcida-override-vote-is-threat-to.html

A quote from the JLL report:

“Combined with recent Power NY legislation, that turns industrial wind siting over to a non-elected State Board, the attempt by the JICA to deny the right to vote on PILOTs is a very dangerous threat to home rule by Jefferson County Legislators, Town Boards and School boards.”

So why the hell did Hirschey work on the language of this JCIDA resolution to strip towns of home rule, and the VOTE FOR IT, before he changed his mind and voted against it?????  Is there some confusion in Mr.  Hirschey’s mind at this late date in 2012 about actual HOME RULE and what it means!!!

Dave Lamora and I have already talked to our town board members, and the town attorney  and others about a more comprehensive plan to defend our community… to no avail.  

In light of all this  I think if your are actually serious and not just blowing smoke  about preserving your  home rights  and defending our community you better start asking some damn serious questions of our board  and these new town board candidates and soon before it’s too late or this new zoning law won’t be worth the paper it was printed on!!!!