Fulton’s First City Council Meeting Recap – January 7th, 2025

by Site Administrator | January 10, 2025 8:21 am

FULTON – The recent council meeting marked the introduction of Rhonda Campolieta as the new second-ward councilor. Attendees observed a moment of silence in memory of Jo Smith, the former Deputy City Clerk.

Fire Chief Ketcham announced plans to hire a part-time fire marshal, modeled after the School Resource Officer (SRO) program used by local police. This retired city employee will work approximately 20 hours per week and will not require taxpayer-funded retirement benefits, as they will receive a pension.

Ketcham emphasized the urgency of addressing vacant properties, which have been identified as a significant concern for residents, emergency responders, and law enforcement. Currently, the city has around 50 vacant houses, leading to frequent emergency calls for various issues including trespassing and medical emergencies.

Funding for the $30,000 salary of the new fire marshal will be covered by federal APA funds, meaning no taxpayer dollars will be used initially. After a year, city officials will evaluate the program’s effectiveness based on the number of vacated properties and the overall impact on the community.

This initiative aims not only to improve safety but also to potentially reduce costs associated with maintaining these vacant houses, which currently require significant city resources for upkeep and emergency responses. Ketcham believes this program is a crucial step towards enhancing community safety and managing the vacant housing challenge effectively.

Councilor Avery was elected as the new Council President, while Misty DeGroat was appointed as the Deputy City Clerk. Additionally, Joe Cortini was nominated for the DRI Advisory Committee.

Tensions rose when Mr. Castiglia attempted to address the council during the comment period. Mayor Rice reiterated that he could not speak as he did not sign up, leading to a confrontation that resulted in the Police Chief being called to escort Mr. Castiglia from the meeting. He chose to sit down and leave the meeting following the session’s conclusion.

I asked Mayor Rice to respond to the claim Frank made about giving people a chance to speak even if they did not sign up. Mayor Rice responded with this email:  “There is no policy change? The first part of the meeting is to address agenda items only. The agenda is put out in advance and if you have framed comments or opinions on an agenda item you should be prepared and signed up as is asked of you. I indicated last evening that if you hadn’t signed up, please do so, last call. It has occurred, and undeniably so, a constituent will make some sort of gesture, raise a hand, or stand up to address the Council without signing up. Yes, we have entertained them. Based on what had been pointed out to me over the weekend and into Monday, Mr. Castiglia gave every indication of what he wanted to address me and members of the Council on in what I would deem an open public forum (Facebook). Bottom line, he should have signed up. These rules established he actually assisted me in creating when I started last year and in no way did we establish a means for people to speak or address the Council without signing up. I haven’t bothered to check what the County or other municipalities do to allow for public comment, I have way too much to do to worry about though.

Oswego County Today has been at these meetings, and several recordings of the Mayor asking at the end of Public hearings, Agenda Item comment periods, and Open Comment periods, “Would anyone else like to comment.” At several meetings

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/fulton/fultons-first-city-council-meeting-recap-january-7th-2025/

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