SUBMITTED by James Hoffman, Wayne County Board of Supervisors (14-Apr-2010)
Chairman’s Column
Jim Hoffman
April 2010
At its March 11, 2010 meeting, I was elected Vice Chairman of the Genesee Transportation Council (GTC). The GTC is the federally-designated entity responsible for transportation planning, policy, and investment decision making in the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region. Given the significant impact that transportation has on quality of life and economic development, it is important that the Wayne County have a voice in the GTC. Ontario Supervisor Bob Kelsch and Savannah Supervisor Ken Lauderdale will also serve as delegates to the GTC.
The Property Tax Summit initiated in 2008 has been an on-going with focus groups and quarterly meetings. At the Tax Summit meeting on January 13th, 2010 there was a consensus to shift to economic development as a means of reducing the tax burden. More specifically sustainability and renewable energy would be emphasized to promote economic development. Last fall the IDA funded the development of a county-wide energy sustainability plan. The first meeting was conducted in November.
On Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 the participants in the Tax Summit will get together for a close-out tax summit meeting. There will be presentations by the Economic Development and Administrative Services focus groups. This will be followed by presentation on renewable energy and the countywide sustainability plan by Ram Shrivastrava, President, of Larsen Engineering. Focus groups will be formed as part of a Wayne County Green Community Task Force and a plan established developed to go forward.
Wayne County received two grants last month to reduce energy costs. One is for $300,000 to assist in the purchase of hybrid electric vehicles for the County’s Recycling Program. The five new vehicles will supplement the existing fleet of diesel trucks and will allow for an additional 4,700 tons of waste to be diverted from landfills. The second grant is for $200,000 and will allow for the installation of lighting upgrades in five County office buildings. This will allow lighting to be changed from low efficiency T-12 lamps to 25W and 28W super T-8 technology with low energy ballasts. Neither of these grants requires a financial match from the County.
On Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. a Public Hearing was conducted to solicit public input on the New York Power Authority’s request for proposals to build a wind farm on Lake Ontario. One hundred and twenty two (122) people attended. Twenty nine (29) individuals spoke in opposition to a wind farm on Lake Ontario, five (5) were in support of the proposal and three (3) persons were undecided. The Public Hearing lasted almost two hours and ended with a unanimous vote by the Supervisors to oppose the wind power project. The meeting was a good example of democracy. I was pleased to see so many people attended the meeting.
On Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. there will be a presentation at Gates Hall in Pultneyville by Henry Kelsey, District Manager of the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District, regarding options to address issues created by the geese population along the shores of Lake Ontario and in Wayne County. Admission is free and open to the public. Gates Hall is located at 4107 Lake Road just west of the intersection of Lake Ave and Lake Road in Williamson.
I hope that everyone has returned the 2010 US Census questionnaires by now. It is very important that everyone be counted.
April 2010
At its March 11, 2010 meeting, I was elected Vice Chairman of the Genesee Transportation Council (GTC). The GTC is the federally-designated entity responsible for transportation planning, policy, and investment decision making in the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region. Given the significant impact that transportation has on quality of life and economic development, it is important that the Wayne County have a voice in the GTC. Ontario Supervisor Bob Kelsch and Savannah Supervisor Ken Lauderdale will also serve as delegates to the GTC.
The Property Tax Summit initiated in 2008 has been an on-going with focus groups and quarterly meetings. At the Tax Summit meeting on January 13th, 2010 there was a consensus to shift to economic development as a means of reducing the tax burden. More specifically sustainability and renewable energy would be emphasized to promote economic development. Last fall the IDA funded the development of a county-wide energy sustainability plan. The first meeting was conducted in November.
On Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 the participants in the Tax Summit will get together for a close-out tax summit meeting. There will be presentations by the Economic Development and Administrative Services focus groups. This will be followed by presentation on renewable energy and the countywide sustainability plan by Ram Shrivastrava, President, of Larsen Engineering. Focus groups will be formed as part of a Wayne County Green Community Task Force and a plan established developed to go forward.
Wayne County received two grants last month to reduce energy costs. One is for $300,000 to assist in the purchase of hybrid electric vehicles for the County’s Recycling Program. The five new vehicles will supplement the existing fleet of diesel trucks and will allow for an additional 4,700 tons of waste to be diverted from landfills. The second grant is for $200,000 and will allow for the installation of lighting upgrades in five County office buildings. This will allow lighting to be changed from low efficiency T-12 lamps to 25W and 28W super T-8 technology with low energy ballasts. Neither of these grants requires a financial match from the County.
On Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. a Public Hearing was conducted to solicit public input on the New York Power Authority’s request for proposals to build a wind farm on Lake Ontario. One hundred and twenty two (122) people attended. Twenty nine (29) individuals spoke in opposition to a wind farm on Lake Ontario, five (5) were in support of the proposal and three (3) persons were undecided. The Public Hearing lasted almost two hours and ended with a unanimous vote by the Supervisors to oppose the wind power project. The meeting was a good example of democracy. I was pleased to see so many people attended the meeting.
On Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. there will be a presentation at Gates Hall in Pultneyville by Henry Kelsey, District Manager of the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District, regarding options to address issues created by the geese population along the shores of Lake Ontario and in Wayne County. Admission is free and open to the public. Gates Hall is located at 4107 Lake Road just west of the intersection of Lake Ave and Lake Road in Williamson.
I hope that everyone has returned the 2010 US Census questionnaires by now. It is very important that everyone be counted.
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Gil Burgess Said,
Many thanks to the Board of Supervisors for acknowledging the wishes of the majority of those who attended and spoke at the hearing about the proposed wind farm in the lake!
Posted on Tue Apr 20, 09:52:00 PM EDT
Anonymous Said,
I wonder how many republicans that yelled DRILL BABY DRILL would be ok with drilling rigs in the lake if oil was discovered there. One slick and say goodbye to our great natural jewel for thirty years. I bet a lot of hypocracy here.
Also the lack of planning by the our older generation after the Arab oil embargo in the 70's will leave us with power problem for decades. President Reagon one bad thing he did was to dismantle and cut the budget on meaningful pushes for alternative energy. (Our kids will thank him for that) .
Problem with capitalism is that we as consumers only care when it hurts our pockets and could care less about the future.I bet there would be less resistance to this proposal if gas was 5$ a gallon which it will reach. While corparations only look ahead to quartly profits.
Go to Europe wind mills are not that bad. They just look like modern responsible countries!! This country needs many projects to power our childrens civilizations. That means every community needs to do its part. Look into your kids eyes do you want them to go to war again over our need for power?
Posted on Wed Apr 21, 09:56:00 AM EDT