Politics & Government

Sparks Fly At Board Meeting Over Power Plant Improvements

Village residents said they had a right to see a contract before the village took a vote authorizing the bid.

Barbs were flying Monday night between members of the public and Greenport Village Mayor David Nyce.

Resident William Swiskey, who last a bid for a village trustee seat during the last election, stood at the podium and said he had a question regarding a resolution accepting the proposal of Pelham-based Genesys Engineering.

The resolution green lights Genesys Engineering to move forward with services related to Phase II capital improvements related to the upgrade program at the village power plant.

"Has anyone seen the proposal for Phase II?" Swiskey asked.

Nyce said the proposal had been in place for years.

When Nyce smiled, Swiskey snapped, "You laugh when you're caught in a lie."

"You will show respect while in this room or be asked to leave," Nyce told him.

"Where is the proposal?" Swiskey demanded again. "You are voting on a piece of garbage you have never seen and spending a million dollars."

Swiskey suggested the board table the resolution and allow him to find another engineer.

Resident John Saladino commented that after the dialogue between Swiskey and Nyce, "I don't remember board passing a resolution about Phase II," he said; he added that he remembered Genesys principal Bob Braun making a presentation, and Nyce advising him to prioritize certain items in the project, based on funding. 

When Swiskey asked Nyce for the proposal and Nyce answered that the proposal dated back to 2005, Saladino said, "That's not technically the truth."

Nyce said again that the proposal from 2005 was prioritized.

"That's not entirely factual," Saladino countered, adding that he believed the proposal from 2005 and the current proposal were "a little different, to me, anyway. Obviously not to you."

He added, "If this is such a great deal, and you are doing such a great service to the village, and Mr. Braun is the best man for the job, why can't we know the terms before you vote? If it's such a great deal, why is it a secret? Mr. Swiskey asked you for the proposal and you would not give it to him. Why is it a secret, if it's such a boon to the whole village?"

A resident should have that information before the board voted, Saladino said.

After the public had spoken, Nyce discussed the Genesys Engineering proposal.

"These actions are to ensure that the project continues to move forward. The board is authorizing bid packages to be made up. Once those bids are returned to the board, the board can choose to refuse," he said.

The project are being organized in a priority basis from a list submitted in 2005, he said.

The upgrade was a $5.5 million capital project that the village undertook in 2008; at the time, the village board borrowed money for the engineering because the village couldn't afford funds necessary. Since the village's rate increase, Nyce said cash has been set aside.

The village borrowed $2.4 million and spent almost all, Nyce said. The balance required is $2 to $2.5 million to complete the capital project. 

The village, he said, spent $500,000 refurbishing the light plant; of the remaining $3 million of work, some will be done in-house, some by outside contractors, some as a combination of both, Nyce said.

"At this point we authorized $1 million more of borrowing," he said; the village was required to borrow $3.5 million, plus another $1 million in cash, bringing them to $1.5 million of $2 million in money the village has spent. 

"We will continue to collect cash to finish," Nyce said. "This is continuing to move a program that was stagnating. That obstacle has been removed and we will continue making upgrades to provide clean, efficient and effective electricity in the village."

The board voted unanimously to pass the resolution and award Genesys the contract for Phase II.

After the meeting, Nyce and Swiskey once again exchanged in heated dialogue.


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