ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY IDA LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY IDA CIVIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
~ Meeting of September 25, 2014
CALL TO ORDER: Vice-Chairman LaBaff called the meeting to order at 8:30 AM at the IDA office, Ernest
J. LaBaff Industrial Building, Canton.
ROLL CALL:
Blevins ..........................
LaBaff ...........................
Peck ..............................
Weekes .........................
Present
Present
Present
Present
Hall ............................
McMahon .................
Staples .......................
Absent
Absent
Absent
Others: SLCIDA Staff (Patrick Kelly, Richard Williams, Kimberly Gilbert and Natalie Sweatland); Andrew
Silver, Esq., Agency Counsel. Brooke Rouse*, Executive Director, St. Lawrence County Chamber of
Commerce.
PUBLIC NOTICE: Public notifications sent September 15, 2014 to, at a minimum: St. Lawrence County’s
newspapers designated for the publication of local laws and other matters required by law to be published;
additional local media sources and websites.
PUBLIC COMMENT: None
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Motion to accept the minutes of the August 28, 2014 meeting by Mr. Peck,
seconded by Mr. Weekes. Carried unanimously.
FINANCIAL REPORTS: Mr. Plastino reports that through August 2014, the net cash is ahead of estimates,
mostly due to revenue from special projects. This figure is not inclusive, however, of the Newton Falls
Railroad Rehabilitation and Canton Industrial Park Expansion projects, both of which are awaiting
reimbursement from ESD. Blevins/Weekes motion to accept the Financial Report for August 2014.
Reports accepted and filed for audit.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES: None
*Ms. Rouse arrives at 8:40 AM.
STAFF REPORT:
Mr. Kelly reports on the following:
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Agenda. Mr. Kelly briefly reviews the meeting’s agenda items.
FY2015 Tentative Budget Process. Tentative budgets for all four (4) authorities are being presented
at this meeting. Tentative budgets undergo a 20-day comment period, and final budgets must be
approved between 60 and 90 days prior to the end of the Fiscal Year.
Loan Closings. First Class Aire, LLC financing closed since the Board’s last meeting. Staff are
working to finalize closing documents for Hebel Welding and Machine, Corning, DeFelsko and
Maxam North America projects.
Newton Falls Rail Rehabilitation. Phase 1 (rail clearing and creation of Phase 2 bid documents)
should be completed within the next few weeks. No significant issues with the rail have been found
Jones & Laughlin (J&L). The SLCIDA staff are working with St. Lawrence County regarding the
creation of a local development corporation. The SLCIDA’s CFO Tom Plastino and Board Member
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Mark Hall met with Legislator Fred Morrill, County Attorney Mike Crowe and the County’s Special
Counsel Gary Bowitch to continue discussions.
Canton Industrial Park. The project continues.
Horton Road Project. We continue to seek out funding sources and working with the Town of
Massena.
NYS Retirement Section 41-j Benefit. St. Lawrence County offers this benefit to its employees, and
SLCIDA presumed (albeit incorrectly) that it had continued this employee benefit after the
separation. Under 41-J, unused sick leave of up to 165 days may be added to credited service and
used in the benefit calculation of the member. A formal resolution to opt in will be presented to
SLCIDA board members in the near future.
Reappointments. Brian Staples and Ernest LaBaff were reappointed to the SLCIDA for three-year
terms.
North Country Economic Development Fund. Alcoa had provided $10,000,000 for an economic
development fund. Mr. Kelly announced his recent appointment to this Board as the North Country
Alliance’s representative on the Board, to join representatives from NYPA (Keith Hayes), DANC
(Jim Wright), and Empire State Development (Stephen Hunt).
Recognition. Mr. Kelly shared correspondence from Congressman Bill Owens along with the gift
of a U.S. flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol. Mr. Kelly also showed the plaque of appreciation
given to the SLCIDA and RVRDA at the September 20th Open House by the St. Lawrence Fire
Training Facility.
Mr. LaBaff asks Ms. Brooke Rouse, newly-appointed Executive Director of the St. Lawrence County
Chamber of Commerce, to introduce herself. Ms. Rouse notes that she took over the directorship of the
County Chamber on June 2, 2014 and is working to get a handle on the Chamber’s operations. She describes
the Chamber’s financial picture, and notes and her team are working on a plan to restructure the operation.
She recognizes that she has a short window of time to address financial issues, as the current Fiscal Year
comes to an end.
Mr. LaBaff thanks Ms. Rouse and she leaves the meeting.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Blevins/Peck motion for Executive Session at 8:46 AM to discuss the financials
of a specific company. Weekes/Peck motion to return to Regular Session. The Board returns to Regular
Session at 9:30 AM.
NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution CDC-14-09-04: Authorizing Civic Development Fund Revolving Line of Credit to St. Lawrence
County Chamber of Commerce, Inc. Mr. Kelly notes that Board members have concluded their discussions
relative to the financial status of the Chamber of Commerce, and feel that a Line of Credit financing not to
exceed $40,000 would assist the Chamber at this time as they work through their stabilization/restructuring
plan. Motion to approve Resolution CDC-14-09-04 by Mr. Blevins, seconded by Mr. Weekes to approve
the Line of Credit financing not to exceed $40,000, with the outstanding balance to be paid in full by October
1, 2014. Motion is carried with unanimous vote.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Blevins/Peck motion for Executive Session at 9:38 AM to discuss the financials
of a specific company. Blevins/Peck motion to return to Regular Session. The Board returns to Regular
Session at 9:50 AM.
Resolution IDA-14-09-21: (i) Acknowledging the Public Hearing Held in Respect to the Maxam North
America, Inc. Ogdensburg Project; (ii) Reaffirming the Findings of the City of Ogdensburg with Respect to
the Project Pursuant to SEQRA; (iii) Authorizing Financial Assistance to Maxam North America, Inc. in
Excess of $100,000 in the Form of a Sales and Use Tax Exemption and a Partial Real Property Tax
Exemption Through a Payment in Lieu of Taxes Agreement (PILOT); (iv) Authorizing Execution and
Delivery by SLCIDA of a Lease Agreement, Leaseback Agreement, PILOT Agreement and Related
Documents with Respect to the Project. Mr. Kelly notes that the minutes of the public hearing had been
provided to Board members. He adds, as a reminder, that this project involves the construction and
operation of an oxidizer plant within the OBPA’s Industrial Park, and the construction alone of the building
is expected to create 20 jobs. After 3 years, the Company is expected to create 12 new full-time jobs. Motion
to approve Resolution IDA-14-09-21 by Mr. Weekes, seconded by Mr. Blevins. The motion is carried by
unanimous vote.
Resolution IDA-14-09-21: Accepting FY2015 Tentative Budget. Mr. Kelly notes that pursuant to General
Municipal Law, the Tentative Budget must be made available for comment for 20 days, and a Final Budget
will be presented to the Board in October. Motion to approve Resolution IDA-14-09-21 by Mr. Peck,
seconded by Mr. Weekes. The motion is carried by unanimous vote.
Resolution LDC-14-09-15: Accepting FY2015 Tentative Budget. Motion to approve Resolution LDC-1409-15 by Mr. Weekes, seconded by Mr. Blevins. The motion is carried by unanimous vote.
Resolution CDC-14-09-05: Accepting FY2015 Tentative Budget. Motion to approved Resolution CDC-1409-05 by Mr. Peck, seconded by Mr. Blevins. The motion is carried by unanimous vote.
Resolution MIC-14-09-07: Accepting FY2015 Tentative Budget. Motion to approve Resolution MIC-1409-07 by Mr. Blevins, seconded by Mr. Weekes. The motion is carried by unanimous vote.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourns at 10:18 AM by unanimous consent.
(Mr.) Ernest LaBaff, Vice-Chairman