November 9, 2006
New York
New York
The Cherry Valley town board has made some changes to the town’s proposed wind ordinance, but not the ones Reunion Power was hoping to see.
Town supervisor Tom Garretson said this week that he will ask the board to schedule another public hearing on the revised local law.
It means there will be no vote on the ordinance during this month’s board meeting Thursday night. Last month the board reviewed nearly 250 written comments on the law, but held off voting.
Now, Garretson said town attorney Lynn Green has suggested changes to the language of the law. The supervisor characterized the changes as “mostly just cleaning it up.”
According to Garretson, no changes were made to the setbacks from residences and property lines and noise standards _ the provisions which Reunion Power said threaten to stop their East Hill wind farm project.
The recommended changes are primarily housekeeping issues within the law and do not affect the standards it sets.
Because the board will have to wait until after the next public hearing to vote on the law, Garretson will ask for an extension of the current 90-day moratorium. He anticipates scheduling a special meeting and public hearing on the two local laws later in the month.
The supervisor said he does not anticipate selecting a successor to councilman Fabian Bressett, who last month announced his intention to resign from the board after a 33-year tenure. His resignation would be effective Dec. 31. Garretson said he has received six letters of interest form potential candidates for the office and is still reviewing them.
Also on the agenda for Thursday night’s meeting is a public hearing and vote on the town’s 2007 budget.
According to the proposed budget, spending and taxes will increase by more than five percent in the coming year.
Total spending for the town will climb to $1.35 million, up from the $1.28 million this year.
At the same time, revenue is expected to run almost 6 percent ahead of this year for a total of slightly more than $610,000.
But despite the additional revenue, taxes are anticipated to jump by 5.6 percent.
The tax levy, or the amount to be raised by taxes, is expected to increase $36,000 to a total of $677,075.
Most of the increase in spending is in the general fund where expenses rose from $720,658 to $792,320.
Revenue in the general fund will increase by less than $4,000.
The town-wide highway budget will decrease by less than $4,000 to a total of $232,200 and the town outside the village highway budget will increase $10,000 over this year’s budget to $235,000.
Spending for the fire department will go up by less than $600 to a total of $94,955.
The meeting is set for Thursday., Nov., 9, at 7 p.m. in the town barn.
By Jim Austin
Editor
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2006/11/09/wind-ordinance-vote-unlikely-thursday/