Governor will have busy visit to NNY

ALBANY — Gov. David A. Paterson's jaunt to the north country will be short but eventful.

This evening he will hold a public town hall meeting in Watertown before traveling to Massena on Monday to sign an important energy agreement.

During his town hall meeting, the governor will announce a $1.9 million grant and a $2.4 million loan that will enable Hounsfield to install a new water distribution system.

LOAN TO SAVE ALMOST $5.5 MILLION

The interest-fee loan, from the New York Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, will save the town nearly $5.5 million in principle and interest costs and allow it to remove inadequate private wells which will be replaced with a new delivery system to carry drinking water from the village of Sackets Harbor to Hounsfield.

"Our fiscal challenges must not prevent us from making necessary improvements to vital infrastructure systems, particularly our water supply," Gov. Paterson said in a press release announcing the award. "The New York Drinking Water State Revolving Fund offers towns like Hounsfield affordable solutions that will protect public health and repair broken systems."

The grant, also from NYDWSRF, will be administered by the Environmental Facilities Corporation and the state Department of Health and will effectively create a third water district in the town.

TOWN'S 'MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE'

"The Town of Hounsfield is grateful for the opportunity to receive this critical grant funding opportunity to provide our residents with long-awaited solutions to their drinking water supply issues," said Martin DelSignore, Hounsfield's town supervisor, in a press release. "The funding commitment of the Environmental Facilities Corporation allows us to develop a safe, efficient water distribution system that would not have been otherwise possible, and addresses the single most important issue of our community."

The new distribution system will include variable frequency drives at all pump stations and service meters at all connection points to both improve energy conservation and lower operating costs.

Construction is slated to begin in March with completion in September.

"This is exactly the sort of project that Gov. Paterson was talking about in his Dec. 29 letter to President-elect Obama, listing 'shovel-ready' projects across the state," said Morgan Hook, a spokesman for the governor.

In that letter, Gov. Paterson asked Mr. Obama for direct federal aid for infrastructure improvement projects, telling him "New York State alone has at least 1,922 infrastructure projects, totaling $11.7 billion" and "481 are traditional infrastructure projects (i.e., transportation and water), totaling $5.0 billion."

Monday, Gov. Paterson will travel to Massena in St. Lawrence County to sign a contract between the New York Power Authority and Alcoa in a 10 a.m. ceremony. The deal provides low-cost hydropower to the company through 2043.

In return, Alcoa must keep employment at its Massena facilities at or above 900 and upgrade the smelter in its East plant at an estimated cost of $600 million. Alcoa is also required to create a $10 million North Country Economic Development Fund after the modernization project, which is still in its planning stages.

The NYPA board of trustees approved the contract in December. After the governor signs it, the contract goes to the Alcoa board for its approval. Alcoa currently employs around 1,300 people and is the state's largest private-sector employer north of Syracuse.