PRESENT:

___JOSEPH SEMIONE, CHAIRMAN
___DAVE D’AMORE, VICE CHAIRMAN
___WILLIAM SULLIVAN, TREASURER
___JOE GILLIS, SECRETARY
___DIANA PUTNAM, MEMBER
___TODD RULISON, MEMBER
___TIM MUNN, MEMBER
___JAMES MRAZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
___KARA LAIS, FITZGERALD, MORRIS, BAKER, FIRTH PC
___SCOTT HENZE, PLANNER
___BILL WALDRON, LIAISON, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
___MIKE ANICH, LEADER-HERALD

MOTION :
MADE BY :
SECONDED :
VOTE :

MOTION :
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VOTE :

A. Nominating Committee

• No Report

B. Audit Committee:

• No report.

C. Governance Committee:

• No report.

D. Finance Committee:

• No report.

E. Other Reports

• Economic Development Committee : Bill Waldron
• Fulton County Center for Regional Growth : Ron Peters

1. Background:

• In 2016, Ameresco, on behalf of the IDA, filed an initial Application to National Grid asking if they would be okay to connect a solar array into National Grid’s electrical grid.
• National Grid responded and said their initial review determined it may be feasible.
• Ameresco advised that if Fulton County would be willing to execute a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), the IDA would be willing to execute a Letter of Intent and Ground Lease, Ameresco would be willing to proceed with the Supplemental Analysis and pay the $18,000 fee to National Grid.
• On January 30, 2017, Jim Mraz presented Ameresco’s proposal to the Buildings and Grounds/Highway Committee of the Board of Supervisors. Committee agreed to sponsor a Resolution at the next Board meeting to endorse the concept of purchasing solar power.
• At its February 9, 2017 meeting, IDA members reviewed Ameresco’s proposal which requested:
  • Execute a Letter of Intent with the IDA
  • Execute a 20-year ground lease with the IDA.
  • Build a 2 megawatt solar array at Tryon on a 13-acre parcel behind Vireo Health.
  • Execute a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Fulton County whereby Ameresco would sell all solar-generated electricity to Fulton County.
  • Develop, build, operate and maintain the solar array.
  • Obtain all permits.
  • Finance the project. The project would partially be funded by NYSERDA.
  • Decommission the project at the end of the contract.
• National Grid advised that a Supplemental Analysis must now be conducted to verify if the solar array could connect into National Grid’s electrical distribution system. The fee to file for this analysis is $18,000+/-.
• Board of Supervisors passed Resolution #37 dated February 13, 2017 endorsing the concept of purchasing solar power and entering into a Power Purchase Agreement with Ameresco.
• The next step was to collect information on the total electrical consumption in all County Buildings and send that information to Ameresco to determine if Fulton County uses enough electricity to be able to purchase the 2 megawatts of power Ameresco proposes to generate.
• On February 28 2017, Jim Mraz sent that information to Ameresco with a request to review the information to determine if the County utilizes enough electricity to purchase all of the power the proposed 2 megawatts would generate.
• Based on information submitted, Ameresco determined that Fulton County uses approximately 1 MW of electricity. As a result, Ameresco has revised its proposal to include:
  • Developing a 1 MW in lieu of a 2 MW system.
  • Leasing 5-6 acres in lieu of 12-13 acres.
• At the last meeting, there was a discussion amongst IDA Board members about whether to go with Ameresco or seek competitive proposals.

IDA DISCUSSION:

• A Graduate student in the City Planning Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is preparing her thesis on how closed State prisons across the country are being repurposed.
• She is featuring Tryon in her research.
• To date, her research has found that Tryon is only closed State prison that has been repurposed into shovel-ready sites for new businesses.
• She has already interviewed several local officials.
• She is scheduled to meet with Jim Mraz this week to tour Tryon.

• Fulton County has placed an “Investment Profile” about the Tryon Technology Park into Site Selection Magazine.
• The Article was published in the March edition of the Magazine.
• See Handout.

IDA DISCUSSION:

1. Status Report:

• Construction is ongoing.
• Johnstown Renewables is hoping to complete its facility in the second quarter of 2017.

2. Lease/PILOT:

• The Lease/PILOT has been executed.
• The IDA’s Administrative Fee has not yet been received.

3. Invoice From Fitzgerald, Morris, Baker, Firth:

• Fitzgerald, Morris, Baker, Firth has submitted an invoice to the IDA for the work they’ve performed on the Johnstown Renewables Project.
• Total Invoice: $7,800
• Johnstown Renewables has issued a payment in the amount of $7,800 to the IDA to cover this invoice.

IDA DISCUSSION:

• At the December 13, 2016 meeting, the IDA Board authorized the Chairman and Executive Director to prepare and execute whatever documents may be needed to allow for Nathan Littauer to pay off the bonds issued for this project and purchase the project.
• Nathan Littauer Hospital is working with Joe Scott, IDA Bond Counsel, and the CIC to complete this transaction.
• Draft documents have been distributed. Kara Lais has reviewed the draft documents and found them acceptable.

IDA DISCUSSION:

• Fulton County and the Fulton County Center for Regional Growth are working together on conducting two (2) major economic development marketing initiatives in 2017.

1. Commercial and Industrial Real Estate Brokers Symposium:

• Purposes :
  1. To market the Tryon Technology Park
  2. To market the Hales Mills Road and Vail Mills Development Areas
• Tentative Date :
  Wednesday
  June 21, 2017
  10:00 a.m. – Noon
• Location : Tryon Technology Park
• Event will be sponsored by CIREB (Commercial and Industrial Real Estate Brokers, Inc.).

• At its February 9th meeting, IDA members discussed whether they would like to be a sponsor of either or both of these events?

IDA DISCUSSION:
IDA ACTION:

MOTION:

MADE BY:
SECONDED:
VOTE:

2. Site Selectors’ Advisory Forum:

• Purpose :
  • To market Fulton County to Corporate Site Selectors.
  • To market the Tryon Technology Park to Corporate Site Selectors.
  • To hear from Corporate Site Selectors on current best practices in
    economic development marketing.
• Tentative Date :
  Thursday-Friday
  September 7-8, 2017
• Event will feature several Corporate Site Selectors from the Site Selectors Guild (SSG).
• The SSG is an association of professional Site Selection Consultants who provide location strategies to corporations across the globe. There are only 44 members in the SSG.

1. Fulton County’s Development Strategy:

1.  Key component is establishing Primary Development Areas. Three (3) are proposed:
   1. Hales Mills
   2. Vail Mills
   3. Tryon
2. Another component is targeted housing projects:
   1. Town of Perth
   2. Town of Johnstown
3.  Housing Strategy:
   1. Documents current and future need/demand for new housing in County and in Development Areas.
4. Retail Strategy:
   1. Documents current and future need/demand for new retail in County and in Development Areas.

2. Tryon Development Area:

1. Background:
   1. 60+/- acres
   2. Northern part of Tryon property
2. Development Concept:
   1. Housing: single-family, apartments, town homes
   2. Some mixed use
   3. Executive Housing: large lots
3. Marketing Brochure:
   1. Similar to Tryon Brochure
   2. Purpose: Provide to builders, developers and investors to get them interested in investing into project
4. Water and Sewer:
   1. Water:
      1. Connect into line running from tank to CR117.
      2. Sewer:
   2. Extend up from CR117
5. Appraisal:
   1. Need appraisal to establish market value land.

IDA DISCUSSION:
IDA ACTION:

MOTION:

MADE BY:
SECONDED:
VOTE:

1. Key Finding:

• Based upon West & Company’s review of the IDA’s 2016 financial records, West & Company has issued an “unqualified opinion.”
• This is the best opinion the IDA can receive.
• The IDA has consistently received unqualified opinions on its audits.

2. Presentation by West & Company: (Amy Pedrick)

IDA DISCUSSION:
IDA ACTION:

MOTION: To approve the Audit as submitted by the West & Company and authorize the Executive Director to file the Audit in PARIS.

MADE BY:
SECONDED:
VOTE:

MOTION: To go into Executive Session to discuss the proposed acquisition, sale or lease of real property or the proposed acquisition of securities, or sale or exchange of securities held by such public body, but only when publicity would substantially affect the value thereof.
MADE BY :
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TIME :

MOTION : To go out of Executive Session.

MADE BY :
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1. Upon a majority vote of its total membership, taken in an open meeting pursuant to a motion identifying the general area or areas of the subject or subjects to be considered, a public body may conduct an executive session for the below enumerated purposes only, provided, however, that no action by formal vote shall be taken to appropriate public moneys:
   1.  matters which will imperil the public safety if disclosed;
   2. any matter which may disclose the identity of a law enforcement agent or informer;
   3. information relating to current or future investigation or prosecution of a criminal offense which would imperil effective law enforcement if disclosed;
   4. discussions regarding proposed, pending or current litigation;
   5. collective negotiations pursuant to article fourteen of the civil service law;
   6. the medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person or corporation, or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person or corporation;
   7. the preparation, grading or administration of examinations;
   8. the proposed acquisition, sale or lease of real property or the proposed acquisition of securities, or sale or exchange of securities held by such public body, but only when publicity would substantially affect the value thereof.

Tuesday
April 11, 2017
8:00 a.m.

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