August 4, 2005
In the early stages of wind development in Cape Vincent , then Supervisor Thomas K. Reinbeck said he has heard that an unidentified firm wants to build the turbines off of Favret Road, near the town transfer site.
"People might stand up and say 'we all want them' or they may say 'no, we don't want them,'" the supervisor said. "I don't know,I think there are more downsides than upsides." Mr. Reinbeck said he is concerned that the large turbines will detract from the town's bucolic splendor, will make too much noise and could throw large chunks of ice during the winter.
The letter below was recently submitted to the public Service Commission By Ex Supervisor Rienbeck in regard to British Petroleum's Application of Cape Vincent Wind Power, LLC, for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need to Construct an Approximately 200-285 Megawatt Wind Electric Generating Facility in the Town of Cape Vincent, New York.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Honorable Jeffrey C. Cohen Acting Secretary, NYS Board of Electric Power Generation Siting and Environment Three Empire State Plaza Albany, New York 12223-1350
RE: Case-F-0410 Cape Vincent Wind Power, LLC
Dear Secretary Cohen,
RECEIVED
PUBLIC SERVICE
COMMISSION
EXEC-FILES-ALBANY
2013 APR I 6 PH 2:
Olt
I direct your attention to the marked passages in the letter
dated April 4, 2013 from the Cape Vincent Town Board. It was approved at a Town
Board meeting on April 3, 2013. Several statements in the letter are misleading.
1.
There would not be any leaseholders for the project if the project was "thoroughly unwelcome".
There would not be any leaseholders for the project if the project was "thoroughly unwelcome".
2.
Landowners were first approached by BP's predecessor Greenlight
Energy in the
second half of-2005. "overwhelming opposition over almost a
decade "is a
misstatement .
3.
a community survey in 2007 showed that 600/0 of the respondents
supported
wind energy, a May 2011 Zogby survey showed 41 % opposed.
Hardly a "voice of the clear majority" nor has the
community of Cape Vincent
"spoken in near harmony"
4.
The elections in 2012 had an approximately 700/0 voter turnout,
the last Town
Board member was elected in a 52/480/0 split, hardly a
"clear majority".
5.
The appointed officials who also signed the letter, with the
possible exception of
one, have all been appointed by the anti-wind Town Board.
This only addresses one letter. What else have they misled you
about?
Please
understand that this Town Board does not represent all the citizens of Cape
Vincent. They lobby very well for the opposition to wind turbines in our area.
There is another side that supports this project. The Town Board does not
acknowledge nor support this other side.
Thomas K. Rienbeck
Cape Vincent NY
Rienbeck letter to the PSC
Town of Cape Vincent Letter that EX Supervisor Rienbeck cited in his letter to the PSC
1.
2.
3. 
Sources: WDT Archives
(WDT article,8/04/2005)
CAPE MAY ZONE OUT WIND FARMS
ICE WORRIES, BIRD SAFETY, VIEWS AMONG CONCERNS
By M.B. Pell
Times Staff Writer
9 comments:
Speaking of misleading letters.
Did anyone ever hear ex-Supervisor Rienbeck say anything that resembled the following excerpts from his letter?
"I direct your attention to the marked passages..."
or
"Several statements in the letter are misleading."
or
"The Town Board does not acknowledge nor support this other side."
None of this sounds like ex-Supervisor Rienbeck.
Who might the author be?
Reinbeck was at an illegal meeting that discussed town business but he said no town business was discussed. Now, is he to be trusted at all? I think wind got its foothold because of corruption.
What did it take to change Reinbeck's mind?
The unexplained water line on Pelo Road was misleading - big time. If you look at the wind project map you will understand that it is there because the developer intends to produce concrete there. The Public Scoping Statement falsly states that all water will come from wells - how misleading is that?
Tom Reinbeck exhibits extreme hypocrisy even writing this letter. He came all unglued when the county planners merely made recommendations to his town board concerning a town wide moratorium on wind.
here he is pleading with the PSC to ignore communications from the present town board ,as unrepresentative, and instead impose its own regulations on the citizens of Cape Vincent.
His poor leadership is largely responsible for the prior degradation of government in the Cape , and the horrific situation we face today with the state.
Might be better to stay quiet Mr. Reinbeck,and not draw much attention to your contribution.
I wonder why Tom did not say he was a "former town supervisor" who made a public statement when he lost saying "those cottagers only care about their view" and "it is a sad day in Cape." Is thus an angry person who lost the 2009 election?
The 2007 "survey" was sent to landowners of the town. It had about 4-6 questions about "setback distances" and never asked if you supported wind development or not. It had NO information on which to base a decision. So.....what percentage of those were returned? Notice he does not say that...just that 70% approved!!! Then in the next sentence he jumps to the Zogby poll he says 41% opposed wind development....but does not say the percentage that fully supported wind development and ignores the rest of that report which really shows a very different perspective.
Tom also "forgot" to mention that when he was supervisor he refused to accept a petition from over 800 citizens (this was 2009) requesting the board pass a wind development moratorium as more information was gathered.
Tom also "forgot" to mention that the accounts that were set up by BP and Acciona for "expenses" and were to be signed by both the developer and town supervisor were NOT reviewed at board meetings as required by NYS town financial practices.
Tom also "forgot" to mention that when he was supervisor and had 2 leaseholders on the board...they appointed ONLY prowind people to any board - including appointing Tom to the planning board after he lost his supervisor position. And let me quote one of the Planning Board members of that group who personally told me after a meeting...."I don't read all this stuff, I just vote the way I am told." Does that sound like a planning board member (the lead agency) who is protecting the community????
So - Tom appears to have selective memory! Yes there are some prowind people in town...leaseholders who plan to benefit directly and some of their family and friends. But ....that has not been enough for any one of these people to win a town board position in the last 3 elections.
Can this letter be taken seriously?
It sucks...all they care about is their cottages on the river...
You know, the ones that are now worth 50% of their value and are nearly impossible to sell because of what the corrupt former town board brought to Cape Vincent.
Also..Mr. R. is now a seasonal resident. An outsider and wealthy retiree...They don't count....
Bucolic Splendor?
Mr. R. traded that to the wind developer for some paint and underground wiring at the lighthouse. Repairs on a no longer existing town clock and fixing a fence at a cemetery. The night Mr. R. voting to give the wind company all they wanted he asked, "How do they get here." which was an indication that he may not have even read the information he voted on. There is a good reason why Mr. R. was voted out of office and a good reason why he couldn't handle the planning board either. It was on his watch that the former clerk was pilfering money from the dump and the zoning funds.
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