FULTON – December 5th saw the last Fulton Council Meeting for 2023 and the last meeting with Mayor Michaels, Council President Dan Farfaglia, and Councilor Lawrence Macner.
The final Fulton Common Council Meeting of the year occurred on Tuesday, December 5, which signaled the end of Mayor Deanna Michaels, Council President Dan Farfaglia and Councilor Lawrence Macner’s tenure on the council. In the new year, they will be replaced by Mike Farnham, 1st Ward Councilor, Jeffery Cobb appointed to the 4th Ward, and Ryan Taylor, will be the 6th Ward Councilor
A moment of silence was held for Eric Bresee, Laurie Mangano, past Oswego Mayor John Sullivan.
During the public comment period, Legislator Frank Castiglia informed the council about the County Legislator body’s progress and happening. He supplied the council with the county and city equalization rates*, Oswego County is at 74% and Fulton at 92%. West Monroe is the only town in the county that is at 100%, and The Town of Schroeppel is at 55%.
Equalization rate is New York State’s measure of a municipality’s level of assessment (LOA). The equalization rate is derived from the percentage of the Assessed Value of a town to the Market Value of a town.
Frank also talked about his opposition to the IDA wanting to do a housing study in Oswego County. He feels the study will say, Oswego County needs more affordable housing and he is opposed to affordable housing. Frank wants $200,000 and $300,000 homes built not more affordable housing.
Oswego County Legislator James Karasak spoke about the county taxes.
“Using equalization rates and the assessments are redone, That can create a tax increase in the community you live in.” He went on to say that the county does not have an assessor. The county takes the information from those communities and comes up with the value of what the county is worth.
Amelia Ray commented she and her group were blocked on Facebook from the Special Events Committee Facebook page, not allowing her to see the Special Events page and it’s information. We reached out to the Special Events Committee regarding this blocking, and they said the situation was remedied as soon as they found it happened.
She called upon the new administration to, in her opinion, look into Chris Waldron for his connection to the Special Events Committee and being director of Fulton’s Parks and Recreation Department. Ms. Ray also expressed her concern regarding moving the tree-lighting event to the West side of the city.
We reached out to Mr. Waldron for his response. He sent this
“The Special Events Committee (SEC) is under the umbrella of the non-profit Fulton Community Revitalization Corp (FCRC). My involvement as a volunteer with the FCRC and SEC was cleared by the city attorney and a former city attorney. I also volunteer for six other community committees as well.
As a resident of Fulton, my wife also has every right to volunteer to make our community a better place for her family. She is a teacher at G. Ray Bodley High School and has lived in this community all her life. Her role on the committee is that of the Volunteer Coordinator. Thanks to her efforts, she has inspired hundreds of Fulton students to volunteer their time at our events. This has resulted in a monumental cultural shift with your teenage youth, many of whom now go to class saying “We had so much fun; what a wonderful community we live in.”
As a salaried employee, I do not make any extra money volunteering for Special Events. I donate my own time and personal money to ensure a successful event by purchasing materials and working 75 to 80 hours those weeks, sometimes not seeing my family for days. I do all of this because I love my Fulton Community. I love making faces smile in a community that had been sad for so long and look forward to a positive future.”
As for moving the tree lighting to the west side of Fulton, Mr. Waldron’s response:
“No decision has been made for 2024. The issues we are discussing are safety, capacity, and inclement weather issues for hosting this event. As always after each event, we assess what worked, what did not, and make adjustments to ensure an outstanding experience for the Fulton community. “
City Chamberlain, Jodi Corsoniti, swore in Jeffery Cobb to fill the Vacant 4th ward seat. He also was elected to the seat in November, Mayor Michaels appointed him early to the seat for a smoother transition to the new administration in 2024.
Finally, all 17 resolutions and Authorizations were passed by unanimous vote.
- Notation that the Mayor appoints Jeffery Cobb to fill the Fourth Ward Common Council vacancy.
- Public Hearing relative to amend Chapter 556 Taxation Article II Senior Citizen Exemption.
- Public Hearing relative to the Proposed 2024 City of Fulton Budget.
- 2024 Budget Resolution- General.
- 2024 Budget Resolution- Water.
- 2024 Budget Resolution- Sanitation.
- 2024 Budget Resolution- Refuse and Garbage.
- Resolution directing the 2024 General Tax Levy.
- Resolution to approve minutes from the November 17, 2023 Council meeting.
- Resolution to approve the Clerk’s report from November 2023.
- Authorize the Mayor to sign a contract for fixed pricing for Electric and Gas Supply.
- Authorize the Mayor to sign a lease agreement with Oswego County Opportunities, Inc.
- Resolution to approve write-offs for uncollected water, sewer, and garbage charges for city owned properties.
- Approve the sale of the property located at 313 S Third St.
- Authorize the Clerk/Chamberlain to advertise for a Public Hearing relative a Special Use Permit application.
- Resolution Urging the City of New York not to appeal the court’s decision regarding non-citizens voting and for the New York State Legislature in Albany to not enact a similar measure in the future.
- Notation correcting the term expiration of the Part-Time City Court Judge.
All Fulton Common Council meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of every month. The next meeting will be held on October 17. To view the December 5 agenda, please click here.
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