County to pick representative to power agency

CANTON — St. Lawrence County legislators say by January they will appoint their representative to a proposed five-member agency to administer $16 million and 20 megawatts of low-cost power from the New York Power Authority for economic development.

"January at the latest," Legislature Chairman Gregory M. Paquin, D-Massena, said Wednesday.

The county is the last entity to appoint a representative to the St. Lawrence River Valley Redevelopment Agency. Lisbon, Waddington, Louisville and Massena town officials have already appointed their agency members.

The membership so far is Robert O. McNeil, Lisbon, county treasurer and chairman of the Local Government Task Force; Shaun Prentice, Waddington; Scott D. Manley, Massena; and Thomas J. Carroll Jr., Louisville.

Lawmakers unanimously voted Monday to choose one of their own to represent the county's interests.

"A legislator can convey to the agency what they've heard from us directly," said Legislator Sallie A. Brothers, D-Norfolk.

The appointee's term on the river agency will end when the next Legislature takes office in January 2011.

No decisions have been made about who will be nominated for the job, Mr. Paquin said.

"I think they should have a strong background in business and economic development. Those are the two really big points," he said.

Legislator David W. Forsythe, R-Lisbon, said Wednesday that he would like to be considered, and he has heard that at least two other lawmakers are interested in the post.

The river agency was proposed several years ago by the Local Government Task Force as a means to right what town officials have said are inequities between NYPA's 50-year relicensing settlements to operate the St. Lawrence-FDR hydrodam in Massena and the Niagara power project in Western New York. Town officials have said the $16 million, money left over from the failed St. Lawrence Aquarium project, and 20 megawatts of power is compensation for St. Lawrence River communities receiving less in their settlement than communities connected to the Niagara project did.

Once the river agency is in place and NYPA has agreed to release the money and power, town and county officials have agreed to allow the Industrial Development Agency to administer the assets for economic development projects both agencies deem worthy of assistance.

NYPA officials have not yet said when they will make the money and power available.