Thursday, March 24, 2011

~ 1996 ~Aubertine Trolls For New Prison~ "If two heads are better than one, let's work together,"

Updates 8:53AM~
Was this idea for a second prison in Cape Vincent initiated by Darrel Aubertine?
Did the Town Board know about it?
Were the taxpayers of Cape Vincent notified about lobbying for a prison as was stipulated in the resolution passed April 12, 1990 by Cape Vincents Town Board ?
Click here to view excerpt from Cape Vincent minutes 4/12/1990
RE: Prison activity

March 29, 1996

CLAYTON/CAPE VINCENT AREA TROLLS FOR NEW STATE PRISON

 story from the Watertown Times Archives

Author: Roger G. Smith Watertown Times Staff Writer
Excerpts

To read full article link~ here

The town and village governments in Clayton and Cape Vincent will join forces to try to lure a maximum-security prison.

Jefferson County Legislator Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, whose District 1 covers the two towns, said Thursday he has written support from the governments and local chambers of commerce to lobby state officials for the prison.

Both towns reap the financial benefits from the Cape Vincent Correctional Facility, so it is agreed that both would gain from another prison and should work together toward that goal, he said.

"If two heads are better than one, let's work together," Mr. Aubertine said. "We're putting together a comprehensive effort."

Sharing the costs of bringing a prison to the area, such as for water and sewer lines, should give District 1 an advantage over other towns, he said.

While the goal is to bring a prison to the county, Mr. Aubertine said, District 1 plans to outwork the other communities.

"We feel the site should stand on its own, no matter where it sits in Jefferson County," Mr. Aubertine said. "We feel we have some top sites."

Officials have experience with the siting process from the existing prison and have three or four sites in mind, he said.

Mr. Aubertine wouldn't name them, saying area leaders haven't determined which sites they will pitch to the state. They also want to hear from people who would offer their land for sale, he said.

The county is backing any local effort to site a prison.

The Legislature's Finance and Rules Committee Tuesday night passed a resolution "supporting the efforts of interested towns" and the full board will vote on it next Tuesday.

link here to view resolution

Mr. Aubertine said people in District 1 have been gathering support for the last six weeks but did not go public

Mr. Aubertine said.

"I think we've done our homework," he said.



April 9, 1996

CHAMBERS DIDN'T BACK PRISON PLAN 

story from the Watertown Times Archives



Author: Tracy Valentine Watertown Times Staff Writer
Excerpts


Yo read full article link ~ here

Dateline: CAPE VINCENT


Some people may have been surprised by an announcement nearly two weeks ago that chambers of commerce in Clayton and Cape Vincent supported plans to lobby the state for a prison in the legislative district encompassing both communities.


But no one was more surprised than the chamber officials themselves.

Although Jefferson County Legislator Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, said he had their written support for a maximum security prison in District 1, chamber officials claim they never endorsed the plan.
"At this point, there's been nothing in writing that says we support it," said Jeff Brooks, vice president of the Cape Vincent Chamber of Commerce. "There's nothing on the agenda to discuss the issue."
Mr. Brooks said a March 28 story in the Watertown Daily Times in which Mr. Aubertine announced that the communities were joining forces to lure the prison "caused quite a stir" in Cape Vincent.
"Issues like that are so hot in a community of this size," said Mr. Brooks, who said the controversial issue is one in which the chamber may not want to become embroiled.
"As a chamber, we have to remain neutral," Mr. Brooks said, adding he doesn't have "a vague idea" of which side of the proposal chamber members would support if they were polled.
Mr. Aubertine on Tuesday that there was "apparently a misunderstanding," and he said he does not yet have an endorsement for the prison from the Cape Vincent chamber.
"I thought I had support of the chamber," said Mr. Aubertine, referring to the Clayton organization.
He said Dennis H. Honeywell, director of Clayton's Recreation Park Arena, sent a letter to the state in support of the prison proposal. Mr. Aubertine said he thought Mr. Honeywell was a member of the Clayton chamber, and the letter was the written support he needed.
"I'm still not sure as to what Dennis's role is," said Mr. Aubertine. "I thought he was a member."
Mr. Honeywell, who is on the chamber's 17-member board of directors, said he did not write a letter to the state. Instead, he said, he wrote to chamber President Lori Durand requesting that the issue be brought before the board.
Mr. Honeywell also defended Mr. Aubertine and said he would not intentionally mislead anyone about the prison proposal.
Last week, the Clayton chamber's board voted that a letter to the state regarding the prison proposal was appropriate. But first, chamber officials will meet this week with Mr. Aubertine and town and village officials to gather additional information about the idea.
"We wanted to research it and look into it before we shot off a letter of support," said Kelly M. Kehoe, executive director of the Clayton chamber. "We still have some questions."
She said the chamber expects to draft a letter after the meeting.

Mr. Aubertine said the remaining proposed sites should "stand on their own merit." No matter where the prison is built, he said it will bring in much-needed jobs to the North Country.
"Naturally, I'd like to see it in my district," he said.


Click here to read excerpt from Village of Clayton Minutes supporting second prison

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

" Mr. Aubertine said. "We're putting together a comprehensive effort."
"I think we've done our homework," he said
~~~~~~~~
But the
CHAMBERS DIDN'T BACK PRISON PLAN
~~~~~~~
Aubertine said it was~
"apparently a misunderstanding,"
Aubertine said he does not yet have an endorsement for the prison from the Cape Vincent chamber.

"I thought I had support of the chamber," said Mr. Aubertine,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WOULD THIS BE A COMPREHENSIVE MISUNDERSTANDING?