SANBORN — The county Legislature’s special committee examining offshore wind farming’s effects on the local economy will have its first meeting Thursday at the Niagara County Center for Economic Development.

The committee consists of five legislators — Clyde Burmaster, David Godfrey, John Syracuse, Renae Kimble and Pete Smolinski — and an “ex officio” member, Thomas Marks of Derby, director of the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council.

The committee, chaired by Burmaster, is supposed to determine effects on Niagara County of a Great Lakes Offshore Wind project proposed by New York Power Authority. The committee was authorized by the Legislature last month in lieu of a vote on a resolution by Burmaster, Godfrey and Syracuse to withdraw Niagara County’s previously expressed support for GLOW at Lake Ontario.

The trio want the Legislature to now actively oppose a wind farm along the shoreline in Niagara County, between Youngstown and Wilson, on the belief that job creation would be minimal, while effects on local tourism, recreation and even property values would be disastrous.

Their resolution followed a sudden eruption of anti-wind farm sentiment, emanating mostly from Youngstown-based boating and fishing circles — and seemingly encouraged by state Assembly member Francine DelMonte, D-Lewiston, and Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, a consistent NYPA critic.

The power authority currently is reviewing five developers’ proposals to erect an up-to-166 turbine wind farm somewhere in Lake Erie and/or Lake Ontario. Its recommendation is not expected until the end of this year or early next year.

Burmaster said the committee wants answers to its questions no later than September.

If a wind farm were considered for offshore Niagara County, he said, those questions include:

• How many construction, manufacturing and wind farm maintenance jobs would be created for county residents? Opponents insist turbine manufacture would likely be out-of-state or out-of-country and few maintenance jobs would result afterward.

• What are the projected environmental impacts of GLOW, including effects on fish, birds and other wildlife? Would the turbines’ movement stir dioxin-contaminated sediment in the lake? Mandated Environmental Impact Studies can’t be performed until a specific site is proposed.

• What are the projected impacts on local sport fishing and boating? On lakeside property values? On county residents’ electricity costs?

Burmaster admits he expects that the answers the committee digs up will increase opposition to a local GLOW project. He claims Richard Kessel, NYPA’s president/CEO, could answer questions of economic impact, at least, but probably won’t.

“We don’t have any information now. Kessel is the one who has to provide it,” Burmaster said. “If not, I’ll go with the hearts of the people who live here. Sometimes hearts rule over facts. We represent the people.”

Kessel has said previously that NYPA would exercise a “preference” for proposals that create construction and manufacturing jobs in Western New York. He’s also said that certain aspects of the GLOW project, including the identities and proposals of bidders, remain confidential, by state law, until the review process is done.

Kessel didn’t return a reporter’s phone call Monday regarding whether he’ll answer specific impact questions mailed to him late last month by Legislature Chairman William Ross.

The July 30 letter by Ross fairly pleads with Kessel to cough up enough information to help beat back sudden opposition to GLOW in Lake Ontario.

“I had to fight at the Tuesday, July 27th meeting to keep the Niagara County Legislature from rescinding the (prior) resolutions of support. (GLOW opponents’) concerns were that the annual Youngstown Regatta would be eliminated, Fort Niagara would suffer from a background of ugly windmills and the commercial and recreational fishing industry would be ruined. ... I need help in the form of information to counteract this strong group of protesters.”

Specifically, Ross asked for an estimate of how many turbines might dot the local landscape and how far from shore, as well as “general” numbers of jobs for county residents and what types of spin-off industries could result from the project. The information is crucial, he wrote to Kessel, “to provide counter information for the (review) committee and save these support resolutions.”

Ross acknowledged Monday he’s irked by the committee’s composition, which he said he largely left up to Burmaster. Kimble, a legislator who’s actively campaigned for Niagara County’s inclusion in the project area, is on the committee at Ross’ insistence, he said; beyond her, the committee contains four known opponents of the wind farm project: the three legislators who put up the anti-support resolution and Marks, a leader of GLOW opposition in Erie County.

“Right now, it’s very one-sided,” Ross said of the committee.

Dawn Timm, Niagara County environmental coordinator, will advise the committee on environmental issues.

The committee’s first meeting, at 5 p.m. Thursday, will be concerned with setting up parameters of its GLOW review process, he said. Future meetings will consist of the panel interviewing invited “guests,” meaning people in the region selected for their expertise in a particular area such as tourism or windpower generation. Marks and some guests probably will participate by conference call.

Residents are welcome to attend the meetings, but Burmaster said their comments and questions should be directed to David Godfrey outside the meetings to help keep the committee on task; mail can be sent to him at david.godfrey@niagaracounty.com or the Niagara County Courthouse, 175 Hawley St., Lockport, NY 14094.