OSWEGO, NY – The Common Council sailed through a short agenda this week. The only ripple was a 5-2 vote on one resolution regarding a capacity evaluation of the West Side Waste Water Treatment Plant.
Prior to last week’s committee meetings, three companies (Stearns & Wheler, CNS Management Corp. and Camp Dresser & McKee) offered their proposals on how best to expand and improve the city’s West Side Waste Water Treatment Plant.
Tony Leotta, city engineer, told the committee Camp Dresser & McKee has more expertise in what the city is looking for in evaluating the plant.
Monday night, Connie Cosemento (D-First Ward), Mike Myers (R-Second Ward), Sue Sweet (R-Third Ward), Shawn Walker (R-Fourth Ward) and Mike Joyce (R-Seventh Ward) voted to accept the proposal submitted by Camp Dresser & McKee for the capacity evaluation of the plant and further authorized the transfer of funds from the Contingent Account to the Engineering Department to pay for it.
Council President Dan Donovan (R-Fifth Ward) and Bill Sharkey (R-Sixth
Ward) voted no.
The evaluation will have a price tag of $30,000.
“Two out of the three engineering firms that we met with came up with basically the same idea. The one we chose tonight was double of the next lowest bid was,” Sharkey said. “So why would we want to spend twice as much money?”
“It’s going to be the same survey, for twice the money,” Donovan noted. “(CNS) would have done the same thing, for about $14,000.
“Financially, we have to watch what we’re doing,” Sharkey added. “When two out of the three come up with about the same thing and we pick the high bid instead, double of what the next one was, it seems a little steep to me.”
I don’t know what they’re going to do for us that the other company wasn’t,†Donovan said. “They’re presentations were basically the same.”
IN OTHER BUSINESS:
The council unanimously approved a request to use public space by James and Lorraine Bowen, owners of a single-family home at 1 Debbie Lane, in order to grant encroachment of the dwelling as constructed.
Councilors approved a proposed amendment to the Code of the City of Oswego, Chapter 280, Zoning Ordinance, Section 280-27(P), Special Permit Uses.
The council authorized the mayor to sign supplemental agreement No. 3 with the New York State Department of Transportation for additional  Marchiselli Aid for the Riverbank Stabilization Project; and to sign change order No. 1 with Holt Painting Company for project modifications to the Water Treatment Plant Painting Project; and to sign change order No. 1 with Davis Mechanical Services for project modifications to the Crisafulli Ice Rink Restoration Project; and to sign the Sewer Use Agreement with the Town of Oswego for the Ontario Heights Sewer District; and to sign an agreement with POMCO to become a participating provider of ambulance services.
Councilors authorized hiring Oil-Air Product, Inc., to provide a fluid power specialist for troubleshooting and repairs to a faulty hydraulic positioning unit at the High Dam Hydroelectric Facility.
The purchasing agent was authorized to seek bids for smoke testing of the West Side Sanitary Sewers for Phase 2 of the Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey.
He was also authorized to seek bids for television inspection of the West Side Sanitary Sewers for Phase 2 of the Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey.
Councilors also OK’d the transfer of funds from the Contingent Account to the Sanitary Sewer Contracted Services Account.
A request by Deborah Coad, acting city chamberlain, to attend the Ambulance Billing, Coding and Compliance Clinic to be held Oct. 20-23, in Hershey, Pa., was approved.
Community Development Director Mary Vanouse’s request to attend the Brownfield Reform Conference, to be held in Albany, was also approved.
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