OSWEGO, NY – At its meeting this week, the Common Council approved taking steps to improve the water quality for residents on Hillside Avenue.
Councilor Ron Kaplewicz (Seventh Ward) requested the council waive the water fee for select residents on Hillside Avenue.
They received a waiver last quarter. However, the poor water quality hasn’t been corrected by the city and residents have received their full bills for the next quarter.
“We’re dealing with water, that in my humble opinion, is undrinkable,” the councilor said.
“I just want clean water, that’s all I want. I ought to be able to turn that faucet on and drink clean water,†one of the residents told the councilors at last week’s committee meeting.
The council voted 6-0-1 (Councilor Mike Myers was absent) to direct the Water Department, DPW and City Engineer to move forward with cleaning and lining of the necessary Hillside Avenue water mains with an approved coating system at a cost not to exceed $35,000.
If the project isn’t completed by the end of October, the water only portions of the subsequent bills for the affected residents will be waived.
In other action, the council approved a request from the Salvation Army and ABATE (American Bikers Aimed Toward Education) Motorcycle Club for a waiver of the noise ordinance for their charity bike run on Aug. 21.
They are requesting a police escort from the Salvation Army to the city limits on Route 104 West, to have several barricades block their parking lot on the day of the event and to waive the noise ordinance that day from 1:30 to 5 p.m.
The mayor was authorized to sign any and all documents necessary to allow the county of Oswego and its contractors to proceed with the Phase 1 Environmental Assessment and Hazardous Material Surveys of the Oswego West Pier Lighthouse and the Roy C. McCrobie Civic Center.
The city wants to develop these sites to their highest and best use.
Oswego County has secured federal funds to perform environmental assessments on certain (Brownfield) properties in the Oswego River Valley Corridor.
The lighthouse and civic center meet the definition of under-utilized sites for the purpose of this grant program.
Among the other items approved were:
- A request by George Hsiad, owner of commercial property located at 57 E. Bridge St., to install a temporary enclosure on the sidewalk adjacent to the building, fronting East Bridge Street, during façade renovations.
- James Babcock’s request to have a park bench placed in Breitbeck Park in memory of his wife, Jeannine McHale-Babcock.
- A public hearing regarding the city’s proposed 2011 operating budget – to be held at 7:10 p.m. Aug. 23 in he Council Chambers.
- Two requests from the police chief to send two officers to the Social Networking as an Investigative Tool training to be held Oct. 13 – 14 in Albany and to send one officer to the Firearms Instructor Course to be held Aug. 16 – 20 and Aug. 23 – 27 in Syracuse.
