Monday, October 8, 2012

Livingston County to Get $400,000 For Enbridge Easement?

Does it look right?

At one meeting, Livingston County residents are complaining to the all-Republican Livingston County Commission about their treatment at the hands of Enbridge as it builds a new pipeline through Livingston County.

At a later meeting, Livingston County is considering a $400,000 payment from Enbridge for a permanent easement across the Spencer J. Hardy Airport property for the same pipeline -- a payment that the airport desperately needs to make good on a deficit-reduction plan it was required to submit to the state to explain how it would cover a hole in its budget. The county airport had been asking for $500,000 to cover the airport red-ink.

The payment, to be considered by the County Commission's Finance Committee at its 7:30 a.m. meeting Wednesday, is for 11.72 acres of airport land, as well as for the temporary use of 6.98 acres of airport property during construction and reduced use of the airport during the construction period, according to the resolution prepared for the committee.

How hard did the county negotiate, since Enbridge knew the county needed the money from selling off airport assets in order to cover its past deficits?

Meanwhile, at its Sept. 26 meeting, the commissioner heard complaints from residents along other portions of the pipeline route about Enbridge, as well as from an Enbridge official. Although the minutes say that commissioners "asked that they (Enbridge) deal with the citizens fairly," is it possible one side carried more weight?

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