CONNEAUT — Two separate companies interested in acquiring land within the East Conneaut Industrial Park for a possible wind turbine farm may partner on the project, interim City Manager Edward Somppi said at Monday's City Council meeting.
SGR Site Associates of Willoughby and Property Investment Enterprises, based in Geneva, are talking about joining forces, Somppi said.
Both companies have submitted differing proposals seeking options on a large chunk of the city-owned industrial park land. PIE representatives spoke last year to ex-city manager Douglas Lewis and Ashtabula County commissioners about their plan, while SGR expressed its interest a few months ago.
An ordinance that would approve an option agreement with SGR for nearly 160 acres of park land was moved to a second reading, at Somppi's request.
Some council members said the proposed SGR pact needs a lot more discussion. Ward 3 Councilman Greg Mooney said the contract contains plenty of loopholes that need attention. Mooney said he was worried to see the matter surface in ordinance form before the questions could be answered.
“SGR is pushing us for an answer,” he said.
Ward 1 Councilman Dave Campbell said he believes the pending contract provides SGR more industrial park land — in excess of 200 acres — than council was led to believe. The contract has other shortcomings that need attention, he said.
“We could've been blindsided,” Campbell said. “We could have given away the entire park.”
Law Director Lori Lamer, who prepared the contract with the assistance of assistant Law Director Luke Gallagher, disagreed. The city's interests are protected, she said.
Last week, Campbell and Ward 2 Councilman Charles Lewis toured a wind farm near Bowling Green that contains four turbines. Lewis said Monday he is now convinced the city should erect its own turbines and use the power they produce to raise revenue and lower local electric bills.
Bowling Green's electric rates are half that charged Conneaut, thanks to the turbines, Lewis said. “That's the way we should go to benefit the community,” he said.
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