Hammond Extends Wind Moratorium By 3 To 1 Vote

HAMMOND - The Hammond Town Board voted 3-1 during Monday evening's meeting to extend the moratorium on a law regulating wind turbine development for one year.

The current moratorium, according to Supervisor Ron W. Bertram, expires on July 27.

Wind committee facilitator, David B. Duff, told the town board that nine of the 10 committee members said they were in favor of extending the moratorium.

Mr. Bertram said extending the moratorium would give the wind committee ample time to complete its review of the current law.

"I believe we really need to look at extending the moratorium," he said.

"Without a question, what we need to do is extend the moratorium for another year," he said, adding that the town board can rescind the moratorium if the wind committee completes its review before the full year's time.

The supervisor also noted that Iberdrola has indicated that any project would not be started until 2012.

"Which would leave us well within their time frame," he said of the one-year moratorium extension.

Board member James Pitcher recused himself from the wind power discussion because of a conflict of interest he has from signing a lease with Iberdrola to locate wind turbines on his property.

"Both sides need to be heard," said Dr. James R. Tague, who said he felt prior speakers for the wind committee were mostly pro-wind. "I'm in favor of extending the moratorium, but I haven't given time frame much thought."

Douglas E. Delosh agreed, saying he believed the wind committee was beginning to get comfortable with one another and that progress was being made.

"I'm in favor of the one-year extension. There is a lot of work left to be done," he said.

James Langtry, the sole councilor voting no on the moratorium, expressed his frustration.

"You're way out in left field on this," he told Mr. Bertram. "The committee is dragging its feet already. They've had six months to work on it and haven't done two months of work.

"Let's get it over and done with," he said. "We can't sit around forever."

The town board voted 3-1 to extend the moratorium for another year.

Mr. Bertram asked the wind committee to have its work done by December, allowing time for the town board to review the wind law document and for any public hearings that would need to be held.

A special town board meeting has been called for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the town hall to give special counsel Joseph Russell time to write up the moratorium ordinance, according to Mr. Bertram.