CAPE VINCENT WIND HISTORY V

Soon after assuming office as Town Supervisor, on January 2010, Urban Hirschey tried to implement a 6-month moratorium on wind development. Fellow Republican Marty Mason votes with Democrats Donnie Mason and Mickey Orvis to kill Hirschey’s moratorium initiative. Council members Mickey W. Orvis, Donald J. Mason and Marty T. Mason also objected to an audit requested by Supervisor Hirschey, but Supervisor Hirschey hired a firm to conduct a surface level audit anyway. [1]

Town Clerk Jeri Ann Mason,sister to TB member Marty Mason, resigned abruptly after the audit report exposed discrepancies in the town's finances and revealed that a substantial amount of money was missing. The audit also revealed that two escrow accounts from British Petroleum Alternative Energy and Acciona Wind Energy totaling $2,211.70 were not included in the town's financial report, nor were they recorded in monthly financial statements.[2],[3]

A video recording of the 2010 wind committee public deliberations Jan.30 2010 shows Dick MacSherry, a member of Hirschey’s wind committee, openly talking about a special meeting. Mr. Reinbeck and I sat down with developers last May, and people don’t know this, we presented a copy of this proposed law to them and they went over everything line by line. At the end of the session, we asked them to give us written comments to go back to the legal firm in Albany, but to my knowledge, they never did. This is the same draft law that citizens had requested access to at a TB meeting and Mickey Orvis said that it was not available for public viewing.

August 13, 2010 the New York State Att. Gen.'s office notified town Attorney Mark Gebo via facsimile that they had received allegations of misconduct by certain officials of the Town of Cape Vincent in connection with the development of wind farm's . [4] ,[5]

Accordingly , the OAG has commenced an investigation. In response to this investigation Supervisor Hirschey called a special Town Board meeting for the purpose of a temporary halt on all discussion and further forward movement on the wind turbine projects. However, Town Council members Mickey Orvis and Marty Mason were absent from the meeting .Supervisor Hirschey and Councilman Brooks Bragdon were in favor of the resolution to halt further wind discussions , Councilman Donald Mason , abstained stating that he wished to consult a lawyer before voting because he holds a wind contract.

Aug.17, 2010, Cape Vincent’s newly formed wind economic committee released their preliminary report as to the economic impact from the proposed wind projects.[6] This report was prepared and mailed to the PB in time to be considered before Acciona’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was accepted, but Edsall refused to read the PB mail prior to the PB meeting Aug 18, 2010. Chairman Edsall and his planning board accepted Acciona’s FEIS, against the recommendations of the Lyme PB and ignored the noise recommendations of their own consultant, Cavanaugh Tocci.[7]

At the TB meeting of Oct. 14, 2010, Supervisor Urban Hirschey proposed that the Town of Cape Vincent commission an independent sound study to protect the citizens of Cape Vincent. Marty T. Mason and Donald J. Mason recused themselves.Orvis voted NAY thereby defeating the resolution even after it was determined that the study would cost the town nothing. Cape Vincent’s current sound study is flawed, a fact that recently came out with the release of FOILED documents pertaining to Cape Vincent’s sound study.[8]

January 13: The Town Board meeting marked the beginning of a tumultuous year for Cape Vincent and wind development. Acciona's wind leaseholders, Voters for Wind and Town Board Members, Marty Mason, Donny Mason & Mickey Orvis formed an alliance, attacking Supervisor Hirschey and tried to bring him down. Marty Mason, leaseholder and co-chair of the Republican Party, led the charge making a motion to have the town's attorney contact Jefferson County and NY Attorney General’s office to pursue an investigation of Supervisor Hirschey,
in retaliation for Hirschey’s release of FOILED documents that exposed Acciona’s sound study as fraudulent. Additionally, EX Supervisor Reinbeck called for Hirschey’s immediate dismissal and Donald Mason stated Hirschey has done a “bad thing.” Their plan backfired, bringing attention to the content of Acciona’s fraudulent sound study. The General notified the town that the charges were baseless and Hirschey will not be investigated.[9]
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link here to CV HX #I

link here to CV HX # II

link here to CV HX # III

link here to CV HX# IV

Sources:

[1] TI Sun article Re: TB meeting Jan 2010

[2] Escrow account details

[3] Jeri Mason story

[4] Fax from AG announcing investigation into corruption

[5]WDT article 8/14/10State probing officials at Cape

[6] C. V. Wind Turbine Economic impact report

[7] link here to read Acciona's FEIS

[8] WDT article~Proposal for noise study fizzles in Cape

[9] Transcript of letter from Acciona Re: Supervisor Hirschey's conduct for releasing legally FOILED documents