The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency will be in charge of negotiating PILOT agreements with wind farm developers in the Jamestown Public Schools District.
At Tuesday's Board of Education meeting at Jefferson Middle School, school officials decided to opt out of Section 487 of the Real Property Tax Law after hearing from Bill Daly and Rich Dixon of the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency. The law makes the installation of energy improvement systems - solar power, windmills - exempt from taxes.
By opting out, the district is placing the IDA in charge of negotiations regarding alternative energy should a company wants to develop wind energy in the county, Daly said. The IDA will be responsible for negotiating tax agreements for the county, city, towns and school districts.
According to Dale Weatherlow, Jamestown assistant superintendent, the district is now forcing a renewable energy marketer or developer to have to come to an agreement with the IDA that each municipality agrees with. It will also stop developers from working on separate deals with separate taxing entities.
''It just puts us all in the same playing field,'' Weatherlow said.
Daly said the IDA has already gained approval from the county for the exemption, and the agency is asking school districts to do the same.
''Now school systems across New York state are also doing the same thing,'' he said.
Daly said there are several areas in the state which have built windmills, adding the closest one to Chautauqua County is Wyoming County.
''One of the things that came across our radar screen ... was the concept of the big (energy companies) coming to Chautauqua County,'' he said. ''Wyoming County, virtually every inch of that county has exceptional wind.''
The idea of wind energy is sweeping the county, Daly said, adding several towns, including Hanover, Arkwright, Westfield and Ripley, are exploring the possibility of developing wind farms.
''Literally in this county ... there are hundreds of thousands of acres leased for wind turbines,'' he said.
Board members had originally tabled the resolution at a past board meeting. On Tuesday, the resolution passed with all board members voting ''yes.''
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