Cape council calls wind meeting

CAPE VINCENT — Members of the groups opposed to wind power development are being called to attend a special Town Council meeting tonight.

The meeting was called by Cape Vincent Supervisor Urban C. Hirschey to discuss, among other things, the "suspension of all actions pertaining to wind development" and a probe by the state attorney general's office into the actions of certain town officials in connection with wind farm development, according to a fax sent to the Times on Sunday afternoon announcing the meeting.

John L. Byrne, Cape Vincent, a critic of wind power development, said he has contacted a number of groups, including the Wind Power Ethics Group, Coalition for the Preservation of the Golden Crescent and Concerned Residents of Hammond, to attend the meeting.

"I urge anyone that cares about the issue at hand to please be present, be early and be professional," Mr. Byrne wrote in an e-mail to wind power organizations' leaders. "We need your support at this historic meeting."

Monday afternoon, Mr. Byrne said he expects a "packed house" during the meeting.

"Basically, what we are there to do is to support the supervisor's resolution, which he is going to put on the table for the board to examine," he said. "That resolution, we believe, will put a halt on all wind power development action until after the attorney general has completed his report and turned over those findings to the folks of Cape Vincent."

In the e-mail, Mr. Byrne says that "conflicted" board members might vote in favor of continuing wind power development.

A spokesman for the attorney general's office announced Friday it had conducted interviews in Cape Vincent with "parties interested in wind power" and plans to launch an investigation into potential misconduct by town officials.

The attorney general's office requested information about any present, past or future wind farm development or siting of the farms, as well as all information regarding wind turbines, wind power and related facilities or wind power projects.

By Aug. 28, the attorney general's office wants:

¦ All documents relating to town action on wind farm development, including, but not limited to, board minutes, board packages, resolutions, voting records, communications, permits, applications and licenses.

¦ All communications between or among town officials and any company engaged in wind farm development.

¦ All documents concerning any financial relationship between a town official, or their relatives, and a company engaged in wind farm development, including, but not limited to, any financial disclosures filed with the town and any board minutes reflecting any such disclosures.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. today at the Cape Vincent Recreation Park board room at 602 S. James St.