Webster board votes to halt payments and rescind work authorization for renewable natural gas project

The Webster Town Board on July 2 voted 3-2 to rescind authorization for payment of work not yet performed on the town's renewable natural gas (RNG) project and to immediately halt third-party vendor activity tied to the program.

During more than an hour of debate, council members and residents framed the issue as a choice between potential long-term revenue and immediate fiscal and liability risks. "We are literally burning money right now," one council member said while arguing for the project's ability to convert waste gas into a revenue stream. Opponents repeatedly flagged a 39-page contract with RG&E that, they said, places most operating and downstream liability on the town.

Resident Sean Hanna, among several public speakers, emphasized the town's existing burden: "We have $120,000,000 of debt," he said, urging caution. Another commenter, an attorney representing neighbors near a proposed Verizon site, told the board that "the review is only as good as the data," arguing for independent testing in technical reviews — a theme that resurfaced during discussion of vendor deliverables for the RNG project.

Board members questioned whether Navitas and other contractors had provided sufficient documentation and whether the potential federal tax credits and projected revenues justified the town's exposure. One council member said the RG&E contract was "the most fiscally irresponsible position to take with taxpayer money given the liability laid out in those 39 pages." Supporters said the project could help reduce debt if projections hold and argued for more study, but the motion on the floor was narrow: to rescind authorization for payment of work that had not yet been performed.

The motion was made by a board member who sought to halt further vendor payments and rescind payment authorization, was seconded, and carried by a 3-2 roll-call vote (three "Aye," two "Nay"). The town attorney advised that the resolution would effectively stop the RNG work as framed in the RG&E and third-party contracts.

The board did not adopt an alternative plan at the meeting. Several members said staff and legal counsel should continue fact-finding and evaluate other uses for the gas, while the town explores contract revisions and additional vendor information. The board will determine next steps in future meetings; the vote on July 2 ended authorization for new payments but left prior, already-performed work eligible for payment per the resolution's terms.

The record shows robust public interest and divided council sentiment; the town will need to reconcile outstanding contract details and clarify what, if any, steps will be taken to re-engage the project under changed terms.