A blog dedicated to the local government, development, and future prospects of the town of Geddes and the Fairmount area.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Manny Falcone to chair committee to look into lowering electricity rates in Westvale


From Syracuse.com Neighbors West Forum: (A thread on municipal power)
Good evening , last night at the Town of geddes board meeting the Town Supervisor appointed a committee to look into the possability of lower electric rates in the Wesvale area. I am Manny Falcone and I will be Chairing the committee, the meetings on this issue will be public informational meetings and the dates and times will be posted in the town hall, and I am also hoping to have them posted on the town website. if you have any questions please feel free to call me at 575-1858 , thank[s,] Manny Falcone.
I encourage all Westvale residents to come out in force to these meetings and help steer the committee towards municipal power for Westvale residents. I know that people from Solvay wear their low-cost power as a badge of honor, but there is no reason that residents from Westvale should not have the opportunity to decide if municipal power is right for them. (Lakeland already enjoys muni power, although not physically in Solvay.)

I will post updates on this issue and committee as it is a topic I hold near and dear to my heart. I hope to speak to Manny Falcone on the record (so-to-speak) and find out what the town is working on.

16 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

(sniffle) Can Fairmountians come? :-(

(yes, I know what the answer is... I was just making sure...)

12:36 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's about damn time!! Lakeland is within the Geddes boundaries, so why hasn't Westvale been able to JUMP aboard on this?

Total Political Promises!

7:27 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you can't get a answer in four
months that people can believe, then this is election bull. If yes
then all local government should be
hung for not doing this 10 years ago. If the best this page can do is feed this destney stuff to its
readers, then lets talk about getting to Mars and meeting our
cusins.

12:11 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lets see, save 60% of my bill each
month? give national Grind the boot? have a mega power corporation
give up 1500 houses for billing cause, it makes good neighbors?
or there is a new sherrif if town
who rides a white bucket truck?

gee, count me in

12:16 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Can the Village of Solvay Electric
Commission recently created tell
us about there interest in receiving additional power? are they officially supporting this
new Town idea? Is or would the power be available?

6:52 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

who is on this commitee? maybe we can send some qusetions to them to ask about their experiences in the power / utility business ?

12:00 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

who's is this ryan guy? he didn't make the news papers last week as
an appointee. he was probably busy
in Westvale counting the meter boxes.

4:02 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

this will bring tears to your eyes
for sure, the village of solvay has received correspondence from the town of camillus, asking that they be considered for solvay power
too!

9:15 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

In hearing this news, and being a resident of Solvay all my life. I think it's absurb to expand this to homeowners outside the village. To think that the Solvay board has come down to this, when there is much more they can discuss in the monthly meetings is ridiculous. I know for a fact that I will move out of the village saving on those village taxes, move to Westhill School district, and receive the benefit of Solvay's stupidity, as well as give my children a better education.

Maybe the committee should go back to old fashioned Supply and Demand graphs. Hey guys what happens if the supply in electricity stays the same and the demand increases. Yes, that's right the price increases!

5:03 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To Anonymous:

I'm so glad someone else from Solvay feels the same way I do!!! I actually just drafted up a letter that I was going to send to Mr. John Montone from the Solvay Electric department as well as bring this issue up to trustees and mayor of Solvay. I encourage you to do the same! I feel if this does happen too I will move from the Solvay area as well so I can have both the benefit of the better school district and Solvay Electric.

Please see a copy of the letter I am sending to the supervisor of Solvay Electric and to our board of trustees. I encourage you to send one of your own to them to show them that we do not support this!!

Thanks!

Dear Mr. Montone,

While reading forums based on Syracuse.com it has been rumored that Solvay Electric is thinking about expanding into the Westvale and Camillus areas. I would like to express my concern on this rumor. While I do enjoy my house in Solvay and I love the Piercefield area; the Solvay village area does not have the best reputation. Our school system falls behind our West of Syracuse counter parts, Westhill and West Genesee and there are the areas in Solvay that still remain questionable in terms of how safe the neighborhood is.

Boundary's have been set for a reason. It helps develop a sense of community and helps distinguish between house values. The number one rule of real estate has always been location, and with location comes neighborhood and school system. Since both of those options fall in the Solvay area to Westhill and West Genesee district, the one thing that Solvay can offer is the cheap electric; It is the one thing besides the low interest rates and inflation that makes buying a home more appealing to anyone in Solvay. Without this benefit think of what would happen to the Solvay community. I would hate to see the rest of the Solvay community leave and go to a different school district or increase the amount of renters in Solvay.

The house values in the top-notch school districts (Westhill and West Genesee) would increase due to the huge benefit of having both the best school district and the more affordable Solvay Electric and those of us in Solvay would loose the value in our homes. After all why buy a house in a semi-decent school district and neighborhood with Solvay Electric when you can buy a house in the blue ribbon school district and have cheap electric. Not to mention will Solvay Electric be able to keep up with the increase in electricity and the maintenance? Or will they need to borrow from National Grid, raising the rates of electricity? Where is the money coming from to negotiate with New York State Electric & Gas? I would also like to know where do you draw the line... why not take over all of National Grids areas?

On the geddes blog there are references to Westvale and Camillus being in the Geddes limits, and that's why they are seeking Solvay Electric. Yes, Solvay is in the town of Geddes, and yes Lakeland receives Solvay electric. However Lakeland is a part of the Solvay community since it's Solvay school district. If the reason they are arguing for expansion into Geddes is based on the fact that we are in the town of Geddes, well then my children should be able to go to any Geddes school they want including Westhill and West Genesee. If they want to make it fair and have all of Geddes share the benefit of Solvay Electric, then the school system should be just based on living in only Geddes as well.

If expansion or additional money is what Solvay Electric is looking for, then I think you have taken the right step in the way of the phone and internet providing for our area. If there is extra surplus in Solvay electrics revenue budget; why not give it back to the community that makes Solvay Electric so profitable? How about if Solvay Electric invests in real estate in the Solvay community, buying up the multi-family homes and sprucing them up to make all of Solvay look appealing again? It's also been a while since Solvay electric has offered the energy efficient light bulbs, or water heater blankets to its customers.

I hope that you seriously reconsider expansion into those areas because both would have repercussions for the family home owners in the Solvay area. The next time you are approached I hope you would consider telling them I hear your concerns on the raising costs of National Grid and we would be more than happy to contract out our services to help you develop your own local electric company however I we won't expand at the costs of our current customers expense and value in there property. I would appreciate a reply.

9:55 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My understanding is this. Solvay purchases a fixed amount of electricity at a reduced rate. If use exceeds this amount, they must purchase electricity at a higher rate. This expense is passed on via ppac. With this in mind if they continue to expand services, such as the NYS Fair and Westvale, the need for additional power would exceed the savings.

10:35 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

there are some great thoughts on this issue expressed, I can see all
sides to be true. The national grid
side, will naturally be one of three players in this scenero.
when a politican says relax, I am here to help you, think hard. when
a employee of a company that is a
competitor says we got them beat, take a hard look. I will assume the silence by the Mayor of Solvay
is intelligent, and protective of a business that buys from a supplier. the village newly appointed electric board, has many
day to day issues to address. The
town owes the village some respect
about this jump up suggestion, and
not play with the emotions of
village-town residents.

5:37 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

sounds like mr. falcone should just hold a informational meeting
and not expect people to call him
on the phone. why not hold your meeting at cherry road school where
all westvale can see you and your committee? put the notice in in the penny saver too. oh don't forget to bring the mayor of solvay, and the electric commission, so we can ask
questions.

8:14 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

since mr falcone has offered his help, let me share thatI observed
the town dog catcher parked for two hours in the scared heart cemetary 2/2 from 1:30-3:30 pm? I was driving to and from appointments, and I did not see any dogs? just head stones and not a cyote is sight!
does this guy report to anyone?

6:56 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I was under the impression that Westvale was trying to jump on board with Solvay electric? Are they trying to do that or are they trying to start their own muni power company?

4:19 PM

 
Anonymous Strom said...

It is very nice.It helps the Electricity users and providers about the Electricity.If you want to more information visit th strom.

1:27 PM

 

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