SCIDA

Representatives of several community groups and individual citizens have proof of criminal conduct. Based upon the predominance of evidence from paper trails, video tape documentation, individual testimony and publicly filed documents; your office needs to convene a grand jury with the purpose of filing criminal charges against participants who violated the law.

Two local school district claim they aren’t getting their fair share of tax payments from a wind farm development in the Prattsburgh area.

Charging deliberate attempts to prevent them from receiving proper payments, two local school districts filed lawsuits recently against the Town of Prattsburgh and Steuben County Industrial Development Agency, and other agencies.

At the Cohocton Town Board meeting on 3/18/08 Mr. McAllister a member of this legislature reported to the town that NYS is passing on budget cuts that will probably force the county to raise taxes to its residents.

The purpose of addressing your assembly today is to inform the elected county officials of Steuben County that there is a serious problem with SCIDA. As you are aware, this body appoints the board members of SCIDA. The New York State legislature has in the past provided the authority for IDA’s. Last year a temporary extension for the state’s IDA was passed. That extension expired on January 31, 2008.

“I'm going to make you a promise today,” Hall said. “There will be no more Article 78's. The three that we have pending, that's it.

“But, there sure is going to be other litigation,” he added. “And it's not going to be on procedural changes that could have been done differently, we're not asking for a municipality to do something over. We're going to look at fraud. We're going to look at criminal conduct.”

Based upon overwhelming public outrage opposition, and the written statement of the developer and their willingness to pay $4,400,000 per year, it would be malfeasance to approval a PILOT. SCIDA has not provided transparency of their motive of continuous favoritism of UPC Wind. SCIDA must publically disclose the exact amount of fees and financial compensation that will be derived from their approval of this PILOT. Amounts of $100,000 to $600,000 for SCIDA approval of EACH wind project, has been rumored.

The Cohocton projects do not appear to fit the requirements for financial help from SCIDA. What permanent employment is being created? Why if the amount of power to be sold to the grid is what they portray can they not afford to pay full industrial taxes on the project? Where is the proven need for the additional electric supply in Steuben County and more important Cohocton, your concern was about the cost of that electric not the need for additional production?

Governor Spitzer has called for greater regulation of the IDA’s. The NYS legislators need to vote on re-authorization of the IDA’s. SCIDA is under the watchful eye of elected officials. As a Board member you need to prove that your duty is to the best interests of all the citizens of Steuben County. Wind ‘Special Interest’ Developers must not be granted a PILOT exemption.