CONNEAUT — A New York firm apparently is the only viable company remaining among three suitors interested in using publicly owned land on Conneaut's East Side for a wind turbine farm, City Council learned at Monday's work session.
City administrators have heard nothing from two companies that months ago expressed interest in dozens of acres within the East Conneaut Industrial Park, council was told. As a result, the city will extend an invitation to BQ Energy to submit a proposal for the property, council agreed.
Only a few weeks ago, a contract was pending with SGR Site Associates for a two-year option on 159 acres of industrial park land. Pending the result of feasibility studies, SGR planned to wed the city land to two adjoining, privately owned parcels to create a 2,500-acre tract on either side of the state line.
Council eventually tabled, then defeated, the measure as more questions about the contract were raised. SGR countered by offering to lease, not buy, the land — a sticking point with some council members. The city sent an e-mail to SGR regarding the lease proposal but never received an answer, said Law Director Lori Lamer.
Property Investment Enterprises of Geneva was another company that expressed interest in a wind turbine project, but PIE's proposal never received much consideration from council.
Unlike the other firms, BQ’s staff has experience creating wind farms and recently launched an eight-turbine farm in Lackawanna, N.Y.
In other business, council's public safety committee will meet at 7 p.m. today to discuss overtime costs within the fire department. Representatives from Fire Station One, the city's full-time station, will attend.
Thousands of dollars in budget amendments will be needed by the end of the year to shore up overtime accounts among the full-time and utility firefighters, said Finance Director and interim City Manager John Williams.
Elsewhere, council heard another plea from Ward 3 Councilman Greg Mooney to consider a revision within the city's personnel policy to give department supervisors more protection from a vengeful city manager. Mooney wants the manager to show just cause for the termination of any supervisor. Presently those employees are considered at-will workers and can be fired for any termination.
Supervisors fearful of running afoul of the manager and losing their jobs are less likely to provide council with full and unbiased information, said Mooney. Last week a majority of council defeated a measure that would make the policy changes Mooney seeks.
Local News
NY firm only wind game left
- Local News
-
-
Presses stopped: Updated with video
It was June 23, 1969.
-
Murder suspect kills self at mother’s grave
Madison Township police officers found the body of a murder suspect in the Alexander Harper Cemetery on Thursday afternoon, ending a day-long, multi-county manhunt.
-
Commissioners pay to get the business
Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $15,000 contract with Growth Partnership for Ashtabula County to provide business service representation on behalf of the county’s One-Stop job training center.
-
Airport takes off with a new name
A new name for the Ashtabula County Airport is winding its way through the regulatory channels.
-
Property owners must pay for meth labs in Jefferson
An ordinance requiring landowners to pay for the clean-up costs of clandestine drug labs was unanimously adopted by Village Council.
-
Elections board gets help with time-consuming tasks
A Xenia company specializing in election services will take on some time-consuming tasks that should help contain the Ashtabula County Board of Elections’ labor costs, members said.
-
Grand Valley sixth grader wins Ashtabula County Spelling Bee
James Elliott, a sixth grader at Grand Valley Middle School, clinched his win of the 29th annual Ashtabula County Area V Spelling Bee by successfully spelling the words “physique” and “daffodil.”
-
Sports, academics to come together
SPIRE Institute will expand its educational base and accept international students into its sports performance programs through a partnership with the Andrews Osborne Academy, Ted Meekma, SPIRE management team member, announced Wednesday.
-
Conneaut Chamber lauds top citizen, ‘Champions’
Nicholas Iarocci, Conneaut’s 2011 Citizen of the Year, needed plenty of gulps of water to complete his acceptance speech Tuesday night.
-
Felony charge filed in robbery
An Ashtabula woman who police said grabbed a woman’s purse inside a Conneaut supermarket late Monday afternoon faces a felony charge in Conneaut Municipal Court, according to reports.
- More Local News Headlines
-
