PLATTSBURGH -- Local labor leaders again pressed the company building the Nova Bus plant to use local contractors or ones that hire local workers.

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Speaking to the County of Clinton Industrial Development Board of Directors, Plattsburgh-Saranac Lake Building and Construction Trades Council President John Donoghue Jr. asked them to think hard about their decisions. He said Syracuse-based V.I.P. Structures is using contractors based in Syracuse and Vermont.

"The contracts that have been awarded so far haven't been awarded to local contractors," he said. "It's just getting to be too much."

Northeast Central Labor Council President Betty Lennon said she supports Donoghue's position.

"I'm here to support local jobs for local people," she said.

Jay White, a member of the Town of Plattsburgh Zoning Board of Appeals who is also part of a committee to update the town Comprehensive Land Use Plan, offered congratulations on landing Nova Bus but questioned the wisdom of not using local contractors.

"One of my big concerns is that you are working on behalf of the people of Clinton County to provide benefits to bring jobs to Clinton County," he said.

He urged the board to reconsider sending funds to contractors outside the county.

Plattsburgh Town Councilor Tom Wood said he was at the meeting on his own behalf. He said his vote to extend town water and wastewater service to Nova Bus was based on the company using local labor for construction and building an environmentally friendly building.

IDA Board Member Thomas Millea, former president of the Trades Council, said the portion of General Municipal Law that allowed for creation of IDA's states the purpose is to create or retain jobs and promote area residents economic prosperity. That should include employees and construction workers, he said.

The IDA board passed three resolutions regarding the Nova Bus plant, with Millea alone voting against all three. The resolutions were to accept the Town of Plattsburgh Planning Board's State Environmental Quality Review determination of no negative impact, execution of documents to provide Nova Bus with its sales tax and mortgage-reporting tax exemptions and to recognize Transit Bus LLC as the agent to get a building materials and equipment-sales tax exemption.

IDA Executive Director Adoré Flynn Kurtz said it's important to note Nova Bus has not asked for a property-tax exemption because it's in the City of Plattsburgh Empire Zone and will get most, if not all, of its property taxes refunded by the state.

Kurtz said the electrical work was recently awarded to O'Connell Electric Co., a union company based in Victor. Millea said that was good news, as the company operates in many states and hires local people from local unions.

Kurtz said the fire-suppression equipment contract went to Dwyer Fire Protection, based in Syracuse. She said she called that company and was told they were not a union company, but would use apprentices and local workers.