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FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners Tuesday approved a draft
agreement with the Greater Franklin Development Corp. of Farmington to provide services for projects financed with Kibby Wind Power Project taxes.

The agency, which receives $60,000 from the county government to promote economic development in the area, was chosen previously to administer a tax-increment financing agreement between Franklin County and TransCanada on the Kibby Wind Power Project. It is anticipated that $30,000 of the $60,000 will come out of the credit enhancement agreement in the future to lessen the burden on county taxpayers.

The tax-increment financing agreement calls for the county to receive about $4 million in property taxes over the 20-year pact to invest in economic development, scenic byways, tourism, public safety and fire protection among other areas in the unorganized territory.

The one-year agreement between the county and the Greater Franklin Development Corp. is for services to be provided for those projects. Under the terms, the corporation will create guidelines, procedures for the submission of proposals for the use of funds, and administrative controls and procedures. It will work with Eaton Peabody Consulting Group LLC of Augusta.

The county will reimburse Greater Franklin for all funds spent in this project, according to the agreement. The agency will be entitled to bill the county for its paid staff at the rate of $25 per hour, as authorized by commissioners.

TransCanada is in the process of building a $320 million, 44-turbine wind energy project on Kibby Mountain and Kibby Range in Kibby and Skinner townships in northern Franklin County. About half of those turbines went on line Friday. The company has also applied to expand the wind project by 15 turbines on adjacent Sisk Mountain, in Chain of Ponds and Kibby townships in northern Franklin County.

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