Former Yates official faults town for delaying turbine project that would bring much-needed tax relief

Editor:

A letter was read, by Mr. Riggi, at the Town Board meeting, August 3, 2017 and posted in the Orleans Hub on August 12, 2017. Mr. Riggi said, “I am incensed by the injustice that APEX visits on my fellow Yates residents by their continuing refusal to cooperate and answer substantive questions regarding the Austin Met Tower Special Use Application and related documents.”

Another statement by Mr. Riggi, “APEX, answer our questions.”

I have attended several board meetings. Mr. Riggi and Mr. Simon ask the same questions at just about every meeting. Several of your questions have been answered and you just don’t like the answers. You want all the test results, but you have delayed the Austin Met Tower again and again for over a year. Sounds like you don’t know what you want. Approval of the Met Tower seems like a good place to start.

Let me just say, Mr. Riggi, you don’t give a hoot about the Town of Yates. You do not represent all of the Town of Yates residents. If you did you would find hundreds of us who support the wind project. You have a one-sided objective: to stop the wind project.

You, Mr. Riggi and SOS supporters, have been rude to friends of mine who do not agree with the false information you are spreading throughout our town. We have been accused by you, Mr. Riggi, that the wind project is dividing our town, and could be sued by our neighbors. Neighbors do not have to sue neighbors – only you, Mr. Riggi, did that.

You, Mr. Riggi, had a letter posted in the Orleans Hub, August 6, 2017, stating Lighthouse Wind shows a delay of almost 3 years from the original COD. What could the reasons be for the delay? Could it be because of the senseless reasoning of SOS, you and Mr. Simon? Snowballing the Town Board? Unwarranted lawsuits? Putting off approval of the Austin Met Tower for over a year?

As you were reading your letter, Mr. Riggi, your conduct is not the conduct of a person supposedly representing the Town I love and live in. You were rude and your actions were that of someone out of control. You are not someone I want to represent the entire town.

Mr. Riggi, former President of SOS, you are out of control. You should resign your position as Councilman of our Town Board.

Governor Cuomo, are you listening?

There are Lighthouse Wind supporters and land owners who want this project to move forward to bring tax relief to our residents and growth to our town.

Donna Bane

Yates, a former Yates councilwoman