Leave my taxes alone----free power is GOOD !!!!!

We've gotten some commentary from folks that live in Niles that goes something like this:


"  Hey, the chance to make free hydro-power and not involve taxpayer dollars is good. Good for the general society.  Why would you want to remove and shut down everything?"   I don't want to start seeing my taxes go up--- because of a dam removal"

Whether the dam is sold ---or removed, Niles residents will see little or zero change to their taxes.  The money do do both of these things comes from grant sources; one source for builders, and the other for dam removers.

If the dam is sold to Falling Waters, LLC and they start making power, Niles gets NONE.  This will simply be a real estate deal for the city. Understand, your taxes wont change, and there will be no impact to your electric bill from this transaction.

Aesthetically; There will be a long, drawn-out construction process. There could also be a blockade of access to visitors. Normal Stuff.

Now if you believe in harnessing hydro-power in general, as a good use of a resource that goes back centuries; we hear ya; and we agree with you, too!!!

Traditional Hydro-Dams that are productive and functioning and safe are great. Great for residents, great for business. Environmentalists are even appeased when cleanup plans,  fish ladders, and strict adherence to water quality rules have to be followed.   

But--- understand that the 2 companies the city invited to bid have on traditional hydro-power sytems have withdrawn immediately after getting the real details on the site. 

The big, behemoth power companies in the midwest who sell power on a large scale, have dams already (like AEP has on the St. Joe river and sells to Niles)---they would have snapped this up years ago if it was worth it at all.


Dams don't last forever. This one is like so many in the US that are falling apart, creating liability, and degrading the quality of rivers just by being there.  This dam cannot be brought back to life to provide traditional hydro-power.  There are no actively participating owners who are monitoring safety or water quality.

Niles is a city with BIG budget problems, like  a lot of municipalities.   They would have certainly been smart enough to get it on-line again if the payoff was worth it. They hired an environmental engineering firm to find out. They said "dont do it"  This is not a cash cow for anyone. I have seen nothing by Falling Waters LLC except that they'd like to do 'this', and hope to get 'that.' But no credentials, no evidence, plans, schematics, photos. Nothing.

Bottom Line?:   If you want to see something good come out of this dam issue with a sale to a hydro company, you should be wondering about some things you havent seen or heard.

If you just want to see a land deal go through and a shift of liability, then who cares. 


If you'd like to see the river restored and improved for recreation, safety, tourism, land values, and cleaner higher quality water, then look at other towns who did something to make it happen.

And yet, the Niles Daily Star editorialized that they back this new, never proven, small new company mystery-hydro option.  While I applaud people embracing new and unique technology, we haven't seen anything at any meetings they have presented at.

An opinion/editorial like that; which reaches out to 20,000 subscribers--without any facts or investigation should be suspect. (Just my opinion.)






Thanks!