OSWEGO, NY – At Monday night’s meeting of the Administrative Services Committee, councilors recommended a budget transfer to address the city’s skunk (and other critters) nuisance.
Caroline Anderson, Animal Control Officer, requested permission for a transfer of $8,000 from the Contingent account A.1990.0460 to the Animal Control-Contracted Services Account A.3510.0450 to cover the cost of nuisance wildlife trapping services in the city of Oswego for the 2017 trapping season provided by O’Gorman’s Wildlife Removal.
It’s a more active than usual skunk season, she told the committee.
“We’re getting dozens of complaints. Just today, I think we had six more requests for trapping,” Anderson said. “Hopefully a trapper will be able to help us out. When we get into the neighborhoods, it’s a lot of the same spots. So hopefully we can take care of the problem with less trapping.”
The committee forwarded the request to the full council.
In other action:
The Engineer’s Office requested approval of Change Order No. 5 for the general contract with Marcellus Construction Co., Inc. for the Combined Sewer Separation-Second 25% in the amount of $0 for additional work for unforeseen conditions. It will not increase the amount of the contract.
The committee OK’d the request.
Tory DeCaire, Police Chief, requested permission to send up to three recruit police officers to a police training Basic Course for Police Officers, at the Black River/St. Lawrence Valley Police Academy in Watertown, beginning September 18. Funding is in the department’s budget.
And, Randall Griffin, Fire Chief, requested permission to send one member of the Oswego Fire Department personnel to the following courses: Fire Sprinkler Systems Workshop to be held in Montour Falls, September 25 -26; Fire Alarm Systems Workshop to be held in Montour Falls, September 27-28. Funding is available in the department’s budget.
Susan Gentile-Deary, City Assessor, requested permission to attend a four-day NYS Assessors’ Association conference and training to be held in Lake Placid Oct. 1 – 4.
New York State requires certified assessors to attend continuing educational classes for re-certification credit.
Funds are budgeted for the training.
All three requests were sent to the full council for consideration.
Thomas Kells, DPW Commissioner, requested a budget amendment to the Water Fund Account F.8240.0410 for Materials and Supplies needed to install a new 8” Water Main on State Route 48 between Munn Street and O’Brian Glenway in the amount of $97,125.
The line there is very old and needs to be upgraded, Kells told the committee.
“By us doing this, it will create a loop so we don’t have bad water in that area,” he explained.
The commissioner also requested a budget amendment to the Water Fund Account F.8340.0410 for the purchase of materials and supplies needed to install a new 8” water main on West Fourth Street between Erie Street and Niagara Street in the amount of $58,079.
“This line is actually an old 3″ line and it’s quite plugged,” he said. “We’ve been having a lot of problems with water in that area.”
He cited the same reason for the work.
The committee gave both requests a favorable recommendation.
Caroline Anderson, Animal Control Officer, requested permission to accept a donation from Noel Riley Heagerty and Mary and Peter Smith on behalf of the late Thomas Halpin in the amount of $1,356.
The committee OK’d the request.
Brian Chetney, Youth Bureau Executive Director, requested the Common Council approve a transfer of funds from in the General Fund Contingent Account (A.1990-0460) to the Youth Contracts Account (A.7310.0440) in the amount of $1,000 to fund the Art Association of Oswego Art for Youth program.
Bill DeMott of the Art Association of Oswego, presented a brief PowerPoint presentation explaining how the association operates a program called Art for YOUth, which serves 100 kids each summer.
“It’s a free summer program. Some times we do charge a $10 registration fee for some things. We do have quite a bit of people that do come every summer,” he said. “We try to be fun and educational.”
The program serves youth of all ages and focus half the time on drawing/painting and half on ceramics.
The program’s budget is about 60 percent for instructors, 30 percent for assistants and 10 percent for the materials, DeMott explained.
It is seeking funding for an additional two weeks of free art classes for children.
The Youth Bureau is looking to contract with the Art Association for the additional two weeks, August 7 – 18, Chetney added.
The committee gave the request a favorable recommendation.
missing or outdated ad config
This city should worry more about the meth heads and heroin addicts instead of the skunks. I want to know what is going to be done with the skunks once caught.
They don’t realize the reason for the skunks being so noticeable is because of the rain. It will push them out of low areas that are flooded and into the neighborhoods. These animals should be relocated.
Maybe the city can work on the raccoon families living in the storm sewers…