Bertram To Name Wind Advisory Committee Mon

HAMMOND - The Hammond Wind Advisory Committee is to be made up of between seven and 12 residents of the town of Hammond and will be announced at Monday's town board meeting, according to Town Supervisor Ron W. Bertram.

The supervisor said Wednesday that although he has received additional applications, the committee will be selected from the 22 applicants that met the Feb. 22 deadline set previously by the town board.

"I expect to appoint people on Monday night," Mr. Bertram said, adding that he had been "diligently" reviewing the pool of resumes and letters that were presented to the board.

Being considered for the committee are Sonja Kocan, Nancy Chase, Lenny Bicklehaupt, Allan P. Newell, Fred Proven, Jay Benton, Steven White, David Duff, Steven Saferty, Michelle McQueer, Ann Root, Richard Champany, Thomas Chapman, Don Ceresoli Jr., Merritt Young, Jim Misenko, Ronald Papke, Rudolph Schneider, Mary Hamilton, Howard Demick, Larry Fuller, and Kelly Rogers.

"It is a Wind Advisory Committee to serve the Hammond Town Board, so I think it will be composed of residents of Hammond. I think we have enough qualified applicants that we won't need to go outside the town," he said.

Cuts will have to be made from the existing list of candidates.

"About half that size or less," Mr. Bertram said of the 22 interested, "I'm hovering between seven and twelve. Once you get over that, you reach a point where it becomes unproductive."

According to the supervisor, those selected will be facing the task of taking a hard look at the present law and addressing health and safety issues that have been raised by the public.

"I am going to stress to this committee to take 100 percent of the public comments. They are not to shrug off anyone or any issues," he said. "They will be asked to take that into consideration."

Mr. Bertram says the committee is a hot topic in Hammond.

"I've been approached by several people about who might be appointed," he said. "And we have some people who are 100 percent pro-wind law and others who are 100 percent anti-wind law."

"Ultimately," Mr. Bertram continued, "the decision to change the law is up to the town board. I would also stress that to the Wind Advisory Committee. The town board will make the final decisions."

Neither he nor any other town board will serve on the committee.

"All members of the town board will be encouraged to sit in on the meetings," Mr. Bertram said. "I will be at as many as I can get to. The goal is to get as much public input as possible."

"Before the election I was not anti-wind," he said. "I would never vote anti-wind. I would like to see decisions being made based on fact, but right now, I don't have that. This thing must have an end in sight, but we don't want to shut anyone out."

The time for action, however, is ticking.

"The moratorium ends in July," he said. "The committee will be charged with having their recommendations by then or at least with having shown some significant progress."