By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
FARMERSVILLE — Supporters and opponents of the proposed 340-megawatt Alle-Catt Wind Farm spoke at public hearings Monday on whether the Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency should grant tax breaks.
More than 50 people attended the first hearing in the morning at the Farmersville Town Hall with speakers about evenly divided between supporters and opponents.
Many speakers said they felt the $618 million, 76-turbine wind farm in Farmersville, Freedom in Cattaraugus County; Rushford and Centerville in Allegany County and Arcade in Wyoming County was a done deal and didn’t want the towns to lose host community benefits tied to a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement.
Farmersville Supervisor Pam Tilton said she was neither a supporter to opponent of the wind farm, but if it is built she wanted to make sure the town received host community fees it negotiated with Inventegy, the parent company of Alle-Catt Wind, that are based on receiving a PILOT from the IDA.
The host community fees would total $312,000 a year, or over $6 million over the 20-year PILOT, said Tilton, who presented a petition with 96 signatures of supporters — mostly businesses and leaseholders — in support of the IDA approving the Alle-Catt application for a PILOT.
Denise Willard of Freedom, who wore a red T-shirt that read No Tax Breaks for Big Wind, said it was negligence on the part of towns who signed host community agreements with Alle-Catt that were contingent on a PILOT. “This should not be on the backs of the Cattaraugus County IDA,” she added. “That’s ridiculous.”
The Cattaraugus COunty Legislature passed a resolution in 2018 asking the IDA not to approve tax breaks for large wind projects. The towns signed the Alle-Catt host agreements the county legislature had acted.
The Cattaraugus County PILOT would cover construction costs in this county. The Allegany County and Wyoming County IDAs have already approved PILOTs.
In Cattaraugus County, Alle-Catt is seeking sales tax exemptions of $6.4 million, a $7.5 million mortgage recording tax exemption and $38.7 million in PILOT payments to municipalities, counties and school districts.
In a reversal, the county legislature in November approved a resolution asking the IDA to conduct a public hearing on Alle-Catt tax breaks.
In the meantime, Alle-Catt has said it could take advantage of state financing of the wind farm if the Cattaraugus County IDA did not approve a PILOT.
Town officials and leaseholders who say the project will go anyway, pressed county lawmakers and IDA members to approve a PILOT so they didn’t lose out on the host community funds.
Alle-Catt has touted the value of the host community agreements and towns’ share of PILOT funds, which in Cattaraugus County equals $5,000 per megawatt, as well as the 400 construction jobs and a few permanent maintenance and technical positions to maintain the wind farm.
One of the first Farmersville hearing speakers, Jeff Peterson of Franklinville, who owns property in Farmersville, said Alle-Catt crews are already clearing land and cutting trees for the wind farm — including some Cattaraugus County parcels.
The town lost benefits over the Great Lakes Cheese plant, Peterson said. “I hope the IDA won’t walk away from the towns getting host community payments.”
“Just because some dirt has been moved doesn’t mean it’s a done deal,” a Rushford woman told the hearing.
Former Supervisor Melanie Brown asked whether Invenergy was in a position to build and manage the state’s largest wind farm and whether it was “a suitable partner for the IDA.” She said when she was supervisor and asked for updates from Alle-Catt officials, she heard nothing. That is not the action of a committed partner, she said.
Farmersville United president William Snyder said residents appreciate the rural scenery and its wildlife which will suffer if the 600-foot wind turbines are erected.
“Alle-Catt wants us to subsidize them for millions so they can have a bigger piece of the pie. If this project is so viable, let them pay (taxes). Reject this application.”
Another woman said low-frequency noise from the blades and turbines that will impact residents health should not be
Subsidized. “Invenergy does not deserve a PILOT,” she added.
Dennis Galluzzo of Rushford Concerned Citizens, said he found 18 municipal officers in the three counties who benefit from Invenergy who have not recused themselves from voting on Alle-Catt issues.
Non-participating landowners, he said, were “kept in the dark” over issues that will affect their properties, he said.
“They said it was a done deal” in 2017, Russo said. “Cutting down some trees and erecting a few hollow buildings” does not make it a done deal.
James Cash, a former town board member and county legislator from Farmersville, said most components of both wind and solar farms are not recyclable and he doesn’t want to see Albany approve any local disposal sites for the turbine blades and towers.
The power is not needed here, but downstate, Cash said. He said modular nuclear power generators will be able to produce power closer to where it is needed — the New York City region. This would eliminate the need for transmission lines.
Kathy Kellogg of Farmersville, a veteran of the Farmersville landfill fight, pointed out the Cattaraugus County Comprehensive Plan does not approve the use of industrial wind turbines in rural areas because of the impact on tourism, which generates more revenue. “I urge you to stick to your guns,” she told the IDA. “It should be above board and fair.”
Gary Abraham, an environmental attorney from Humphrey, who represents groups of individuals opposed to the project, said the state Department of Health had determined the noise limit approved by the Public Service Commission was “a risk to the public health in Farmersville and Freedom:”
Abraham amplified Kellogg’s observation that the industrial turbines in a rural area that would jeopardize tourism were not on the county’s comprehensive plan.
He also claimed Alle-Catt had lied to receive its siting certificate and after certifying it could hook to National Grid it asked for an extension so a power line could be built.
Stephanie Milks, a former resident who was president of Freedom Untied, asked why the IDA would grant tax breaks for three or four jobs. Why would the IDA give multi-million dollar tax breaks toi a multi-billion dollar industry? She asked. “Are these the types of jobs the IDA would be proud to promote?”
Peter Sorgi, the Farmersville town attorney, said, “If the project is going to go forward, it’s about the money.” Without the IDA’s sales tax exemption, there is no incentive for Alle-Catt to buy materials from Cattaraugus County businesses. The town would receive less money without a PILOT.
One woman who spoke said she was against a PILOT because of the effect the Alle-Catt project would have on the environment and peoples’ health. With the noise and flicker from the turbines and blades, they don’t need more subsidies.
Two local labor leaders said construction jobs would go to union members in the region, not out-of-state workers. About thirty-fire operators and others area already working on the project, they said.
Josh Williams of Operating Engineers Local 17 said those prevailing wages “will stay here in Western New York.”
Tom Lippert of Local 621 in Olean, who represents construction workers in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties, said local laborers”are working on the job right now. They are working on access roads and and put-down areas. “If the project is going to be built, laborers need jobs.”
The labor representatives said they were at the IDA hearing to encourage the IDA to approve the Alle-Catt PILOT.
The hearing was conducted by Corey Wiktor, IDA executive director. Also attending the hearing were IDA chairman Thomas Buffamante and IDA member Brent Driscoll.
“We wanted to hear both sides,” said Driscoll after the hearing. “I’m disappointed that the host community agreements were tied to an IDA PILOT.”
Buffamante agreed, saying, “I want to hear the viewpoints. I appreciate the fact that everyone here was civil.” That has not always been the case with this controversial issue.
Buffamante said the IDA board would review the comments from the public hearings at Farmersville, Freedom and Yorkshire. “We may approve or not approve the project.”
The IDA chairman said Alle-Catt still must get approval for two items from the Public Service Commission. One is a final decommissioning statement and the other is compliance filings on noise.
The next IDA meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14, but it may be rescheduled, Buffamante said.
Those unable to attend the public hearings may send written comments to Corey Wiktor, executive director Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency, 9 E. Washington St., Ellicottville, N.Y. 14731; telephone (716) 699-2005 or email at corey@cattcoida.com.
