Otsego County holds marathon meeting
Jul. 7—The Otsego County Board of Representatives held its monthly meeting Wednesday, July 6, and it was a marathon session.
The board recognized county employees and their years of service prior to the meeting. During the ceremony, employees celebrating five-year anniversaries were recognized with a pin and certificate.
"This was a pretty impressive list," Board Chair David Bliss, R-Cherry Valley, Middlefield, Roseboom, said. "Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to the county."
The board also held a public hearing prior to the regular meeting about a Community Development Block Grant it is applying for on behalf of Springbrook. The $300,000 grant will place safety fencing around the Springbrook campus in the town of Milford. No one spoke about the proposal.
The Public Works Committee held a quick meeting prior to the meeting to approve transferring money to pay for fuel.
The meeting started a little after the scheduled 10 a.m. start and Bliss apologized for the delay.
Deb MacKenzie from the Edmeston Museum spoke about the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence that will take place in 2025. She said area historians are gearing up for that anniversary and the county will be hearing from them monthly. She also talked about and invited board members to visit the Edmeston Museum, located on the top two floors of the town hall.
Oneonta resident Andrew Hamill told the board he would like there to be an interfaith Sept. 11 prayer service in the county to unite the county.
Assemblyman Brian Miller addressed the board about a variety of topics. See separate story.
Representatives started to report on various committee meetings held during June, before the board voted to enter into a scheduled closed-door session at 11 a.m. to conduct interviews and review employment histories of certain individuals, Bliss said.
After the four-hour closed door session, the board returned to regular session and voted unanimously to approve the following resolutions:
—Appoint the elected county treasurer as budget officer when there is no county administrator.
—Contract with SMRT Architects and Engineers of Schenectady for an amount not to exceed $84,900 for architectural and engineering services for the Otsego County Public Safety Building.
—Purchase an updated Auhura Chemical Detector System in the amount of $56,250 for the emergency services department. The detector system will detect explosives, illegal drugs and other chemicals, the resolution said.
—Transfer $450,000 from sales tax revenue to the highway department to pay for the increase in fuel costs. Edwin Frazier Jr., R-Unadilla, chair of the Public Works committee, said the county approved bids with an adjustable rate last year, and hoped the fixed rate would save the county money. During the meeting, the board also accepted bids for fuel oil at a fixed rate from various providers.
—Purchase a Gradall and log picker for the year 2023 and a bucket truck for the year 2024. Frazier explained with supply chain issues, equipment delivery is at least 14 months out from the date of purchase. The Gradall is not to exceed $425,000, the log picker is not to exceed $325,000 and the bucket truck is not to exceed $250,000, the resolution said.
Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221.
