It's Not About the Re-Licensing.....

Tonight I cast the lone vote against the proprosed St. Lawrence River Valley Redevelopment Agency. My colleagues on the Massena Town Board all voted in favor of it, thus approving the plan and letting the New York Power Authority off the hook once again.

Two newspaper editors in Ogdensburg (Chuck Kelly and Jim Reagen) had accused Waddington Town Supervisor Mark Scott and me of "risking our future" by asking questions about the RVRDA and insisting that NYPA pay us interest on the money we should have received seven years ago when the Power Authority received its 50-year license renewal.

I can't speak for Mr. Scott, but my vote against the proposal tonight had nothing to do with the crappy deal the towns and the county got out of the relicensing process.

The following is the general text of my comments before I voted tonight:

"This is not about re-licensing. It’s about respect, fairness and good business.

"The founding of the town of Massena predates the NY Power Authority’s arrival by more than 150 years. We are the government of record for the town of Massena and this board represents the town’s duly elected representation. That stands for something and sometimes I get the feeling that NYPA doesn’t respect the authority vested in this government by law and the NYS Constitution. I’m not looking for NYPA’s love, just their respect.

"When our proposals are dismissed out of hand, as is often the case with NYPA, I feel the Power Authority shows disrespect to this government, and our neighbor municipalities.

"Massena has been a cash cow for NYPA for many, many years. Because the St. Lawrence Project was the first facility on line for the Power Authority of the State of New York, I believe a great deal of NYPA’s financial success has been collected on Massena’s back.

"It continues to be a huge source of revenue for the Power Authority.

"I certainly am not ignoring the good things NYPA provides our community, especially the many, good-paying jobs at the facility over the years. I don’t hate NYPA. In fact, I have friends and relatives who work there, and I believe NYPA jobs are probably the best our area has to offer.

"But I also can’t ignore some other things:

"Since relicensing in 2003, NYPA rates have increased and those increases have cost MED rate payers an additional $500,000 every year. You want to know why your MED bill is going up – that is a big reason for it.

"MED pays over $1 million a year to have our power transported here from Niagara, but does our electricity really come from Niagara, or does it come from St. Lawrence?

"The improvements at the dam mean that NYPA is now generating anywhere from 32 to 90 more megawatts from this dam. More power generated means more money for NYPA.

"We have been a good host for over 50 years, and FERC says host communities are supposed to get extra benefits from utilities like NYPA. The money for the now defunct aquarium was part of that and state law says we’re supposed to get the 20 megawatts of power for local economic development.

"Be very clear on this one issues, this $16 million and electricity are not a gift. They are what is due this community for decades of being a gracious host.

"There are no details of how the 20 megawatts will be sold and there is a strict limitation on their sale. That’s unfair and, in my opinion, cannot be justified.

"If we had received the $16 million when it was due in October of 2003, it would have grown to $19.5 million if invested at 3% interest. I feel strongly that amount should be included in the RVRDA proposal – it is only fair and let’s be honest, it is a minuscule amount when you are talking about NYPA profits."