The Newburgh, NY Industrial Development Agency met October 20, 2008. Topics discussed included IDA insurance, bylaws, the IDA’s financial information, and RFPs for auditing and legal services. The board decided not to renew the contract with CIDC, Community Initiatives Development Corp., and stated that if Mr. Klein requires services he should pay for them himself. Other topics of discussion included the RFP for remediation of the city landfill, and the board expressed interest in participation in decisions regarding the DuPont-Stauffer property. Board member Joshua Smith stated that they would want a developer with a track record.
In addition to the $5-12M child development center plan NCAC discussed at the October 7 work session, NCAC Executive Director Rudy LaMarr briefly touched upon plans for the DuPont-Stauffer brownfields development. He emphasized a program that would bring jobs to the area:
In 1997 it [NCAC] signed an agreement with Stauffer Chemical, current owner of the nearly 50-acre Landfill property, in which Stauffer agreed to donate the property to NCAC once remediation is completed.
Once cleanup issues are resolved, NCAC may be able to develop the property quickly, if it can find the funding. This is a great opportunity for community-led brownfields development.
Hazardous wastes include volatile organics, semi-volatile organics, and metals.
DEC [the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation] and the New York Department of Health are currently taking public comments on a proposed remedial action plan. The site is being addressed under a Consent Order with Stauffer, which is responsible for paying for remedial action. The agencies propose to send hazardous wastes to an approved landfill and to consolidate and cap other wastes in the North Landfill area. The site will be limited, with institutional controls, to restricted-commercial uses, and long-term monitoring will be required.
NCAC expects to own the land outright. It doesn’t anticipate environmental issues to be a major obstacle to redevelopment, but it is willing to stage development, building in the southern portion of the property first. When I mentioned the potential for surprises—that is, new pollution discoveries—Rudy and George agreed that environmental insurance will be a must. I also suggest that they ask DEC to supplement the monitoring requirements with contingency plans that would define the likely responses should additional soil or vapor contamination be discovered.
NCAC is looking for grants, other subsidies, and private sector partners to help finance and carry out construction. I suggested that they also seek solar power companies that might want to install photovoltaic systems on project roofspace. Energy generated on-site could power the buildings.
Also at the work session Monday night, City Comptroller Charles Emberger gave a review of revenue for 2008:
