Aug. 11 – Following a June 13 meeting in Richfield Springs, at which
a former Otsego County official and current candidate for another term
as District 9 representative, Alex Shields, proposed the addition of a
municipal gas company that would extend already existing natural gas
services along the Route 28 corridor south from Richfield and north
from Oneonta. Steps are being taken to address the feasibility of
acting on the proposed municipal gas service.
New York State Senator James Seward (R-Milford) attended the June 13
meeting and stated that if a public entity in the county were to
propose a feasibility study – the logical first step – on extending
natural gas in Otsego County to New York State, the state might be able
to defray some of the costs.
Since then, Shields has contacted members of the Richfield Springs
Village Board and asked them to compose a letter to request that Seward
be involved in the feasibility study.
“The mayor (Leonard Butler) has put together a letter to send to
Senator Seward, but is still waiting for the board to review the letter
before it can be sent to him,” said Village Clerk/Treasurer Jerry Buck.
Otsego County’s economic developer, Lynn Bass, is also seeking a
feasibility study grant from Seward and New York State following the
approval of the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee to go forward in
contacting the senator.
Bass said that Seward needs to know the cost of the feasibility
study before any attempts to receive state funding for the project can
be made. “Until I get a quote I can’t go forward,” said Bass.
Bass said that she had obtained a list of consultants that will do the feasibility study and will be obtaining a quote.
Bass felt that performing a feasibility study would be a good idea
and good initial step in determining if natural gas can be extended in
Otsego County.
Shields said that the addition of natural gas could fuel an economic
boom in Otsego County as well provide a fixed cost incentive for
economic developers.
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