Cape Vincent’s Unethical Black Hole

Source: Wind Power Ethics Group | Law, New York

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To:
James H. Madden – Cape Vincent Wind Farm – British Petroleum
Peter E. Zedick – St. Lawrence Wind Farm – Acciona/AES

• NYS Senator Darrel Aubertine – Has contract with Acciona/AES.
Wrote letter to Cape officials advising to disregard conflicts of interest.
Former Cape Vincent town councilman
Voted at state level on legislation which could influence his wind contract
Sister married to John Wiley, member of Zoning Board of Appeals

• Joe Wood – Town Board, has wind contract
Wife Debra Wood, Deputy Town Clerk
Sister Karen Bourcy on Planning Board
Brother Alan Wood, Zoning Enforement Officer, partner in Wood Farm LLC,
which has contract
Another brother is partner in Wood Farm LLC, which has a contract
2 nephew partners in Wood Farm LLC, which has wind contract

• Marty Mason – Town Board, has 3 wind contracts
Sister Jerri Mason is Town Clerk
Cousin Donald Mason, Town Board, has wind contract

• Donald Mason – Town Board, has wind contract
Cousin Marty Mason, Town Board, has 3 wind contracts
Cousin Jerri Mason, Town Clerk

• Richard Edsall – Planning Board Chairman, has wind contract
Wife’s parents have wind contract
Brother-in-law has wind contract

• Andrew Binsley – Planning Board
2 brothers-in-law and a nephew have wind contract

• Karen Bourcy – Planning Board
Son, Partner in Wood Farm LLC, which has wind contract
Brother Joe Wood, Town Board, has wind contract
Brother Alan Wood, Zoning Enforcement Office, partner in Wood Farm LLC, which has a wind contract
Nephew, partner in Wood Farm LLC, which has wind contract
1 additional brother partner in Wood Farm LLC, which has wind contract

Many Cape Vincent citizens are deeply disturbed by your companies’ insistence on developing wind projects by putting such a high burden on the ethics of our town officers.

You have entered into contracts with many of our town’s officials and their families knowing this would create blatant conflicts of interest. This is a violation of the town’s ethics code and NY State law. A similar situation has led to investigations by the NY Attorney General and a district attorney in other parts of the state.

You claim high minded ideals of clean energy and prosperity. Yet involving town officials in your projects has resulted in an ethical nightmare. This has created an atmosphere of distrust and bitterness in a once peaceful and friendly community.

You have made it difficult for these officials to make responsible health, safety, and environmental decisions, since they now have a financial incentive to look the other way.

As a result, you have taken hostage our town’s political system and citizens are paying a high ransom of a badly divided community.

Despite knowing this, you sit quietly by with one agenda of pushing through your wind projects as quickly as possible. You show no objection or remorse for the unethical situation and bitter community your projects have created.

* Information from official town and state records, and other research. *

We encourage our state and local officials to investigate these matters.