OSWEGO – Several resolutions to make key changes to the City of Oswego were passed during the Oswego Common Council meeting last night, Monday, May 24.
The widely publicized plan to bring Bird Ride e-scooters to Oswego was passed by all seven councilmembers. The partnership with Bird Ride was announced on May 21 by Mayor Billy Barlow who is excited to bring 50 scooters to the city with an estimated start in “mid-to-late June,” as Barlow said at the meeting.
“I think it’s a safe, fun method of transportation in the city whether you want to use it for recreation, which I see people, particularly in breitbeck park [near] the marina, wanting to hop on these and cruise throughout the city for a few minutes and park them. It will certainly be a fun ride,” Barlow said. “Or for transportation, maybe you don’t have a car or live in a place nearby and you just want to blast the scooter up to run your errands.”
As of now the plan, noted as Resolution 180, is just a year-long agreement. The city will not be liable for any potential malfunction or injuries sustained, as users sign an agreement with Bird Rides not the city. Pick up points will be scattered across East and West Oswego and will even include places near SUNY Oswego, according to Barlow. The agreement will be at no cost to the city or tax payers and will actually pay the city 15 cents for every ride.
Barlow also noted that users must download the Bird Ride app and require a debit or credit card to take out the scooters, which should “regulate” reckless riders. These potentially reckless users can also be banned from the app if things are taken too far.
Resolution 181 was also passed 7-0, accepting the lowest bid for the East First Street redesign project from Shawn Malone Excavating. Barlow described East First Street as a “six-lane” road including parking and is looking to “beautify” the area. Barlow said it would look similar to the adjacent area on West First Street.
“As you see the indoor water park come online and the commercial space in the East Lake Commons development come online … you will need some parking there. It actually increases the number of parking spaces there, beautifies the area and will really replicate West 1st Street, [which will] help with the feel of the area,” Barlow said. “It reduces the amount of concrete asphalt which is way overdone, so we’ll have some granite curb, green space, some trees, maybe some decorative lights one the project settles in a bit.”
According to Barlow, the budget was set at $150,000, while Shawn Malone Excavating’s bid came in just under that mark. Barlow added that the entire project should not take more than a couple of weeks and is expected to start in late July.
Other items passed on the agenda include:
- Resolution 172 – To allow Amber McGetrick and Alex Kipfer to use a public space to hold a wedding ceremony in Pocket Park off of Water Street.
- Resolution 173 – To allow Melissa Schrader to hold a block party Saturday, July 3 on Jonquil Trail.
- Resolution 174 – To allow Oswego Little League to hold the Annual Oswego Little League 5K on Sunday, June 20.
- Resolution 176 – To approve of the National Grid Pipeline 55 Relocation Project.
- Resolution 182 – To sell a maximum of 25 loads of asphalt milling to the Oswego Speedway
All Common Council meetings are held the second and fourth Monday of every month. The next meeting is to be held on Monday, May 24 at 7:15 p.m.
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