Journal:New Councilors Take Office Sunday

New Councilors Take Office

The time has come to anoint our new council members. The new year starts Sunday, which will mark their first official day of duty. I hope they will bring the City Manager's fiasco to an end, then move on to current City business.

Property Pride?   

According to the Code Enforcement Office, the City has had less code violations complaints from the prior year. Mr. Mallette hopes people are taking pride in their property but the reality is there were only 13 less complaints or about 3% difference from last year...that is modest! I know one of the biggest violators in the area went to jail 9 months ago, that made a difference.

It appears the Journal is looking to put a positive spin on a few things in the City.  We all knows the River City needs a different spin.  Hopefully the Council can do this.  Good Luck!!!!!


Journal New Councilors

Journal Codes

Journal:Children's Librarian Sought

Another Librarian?

Hiring a another Librarian is a tough sell when the position was not filled last year to balance the budget. Would this position require a Masters in Library Science (MLS) to run the children's programs? The replacement of Mrs. Wright would receive a $4K raise from day one.

I support the library, but would question this decision. Maybe the readers have a better insight.

Journal Librarian

Journal:Sciorra Demands Public Hearing

Is there "Substantial, Persuasive Evidence"?

Mr. Sciorra, it appears you have been down this road before...he understands the system and will put City Council through the ropes. The question will be! Do the charges show "substantial, persuasive evidence"?

Hopefully the City Council will act in unison and everyone can get on board, at least for the tax payers. The hearing will be sometime in January and we will not miss listening to the rhetoric of Nicky (I do not pay taxes, I am still in school) Vaugh.

Mr. Sciorra is calling for a public hearing and this should be very interesting. I would think this would be handled by Law firm hired by the City. He should handle the hearing and the councilors would decide at the end.

Journal Demands

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Oburg

Journal:Enrollment Downward Trend Continues



School Enrollment Down

There has been a 40% decrease in student enrollment since 1976, "school consolidation" may become reality. In 1976 we had approximately 27,000 students enrolled in our public school system which has decreased to about 16,000. This year's school enrollment was down by 213 students. This is not a significant change and only 7 of the 213 are from the Ogdensburg School district. The problem is this trend has continued over the last 30 years.

Schools are getting very expensive to run, especially when some schools are graduating under 30 students. Our graduating class was well over 200 and we are currently graduating just over 100 students. This is about a 50% decrease in student enrollment in the Ogdensburg School system. The school is still the same size and we still have the same number of teachers and administration, consolidation seems like the right choice.

Economies of scale for a school system would figure the cost to educate a student based on the size of the graduating class. Graduating 25 students and trying to offer elective classes or advanced placement courses are not very cost effective when only 7 students are enroll. Hiring a School Administrator, and multiple principals also increase the cost and takes from the students. We should strive for the ideal school size, that maximizes educational opportunities, and brings down costs by consolidating within our school systems. There must be models out there that we could pattern our school system on.

Journal Enrollment  

Journal:Junior International Carp Tournament Deadline Nears

Junior Carp Tournament Sign-Up

The Carp Tournament has been a major draw to local communities. Early Junior Carp Tournament Sign-up deadline is December 31, 2011. So if your 11 to 18 years old, boy or girl, sign-up early and save $50.00 on the entry fee. This has been a great success for everyone!

Journal Article Carp

Journal:Sciorra Plans To Settle Dispute In Court

Termination Guide May Be Necessary

Mr. Sciorra, City Manager is going to let the court settle City Council's resolution to terminate him. The City Council's vote was 5 to 1 with only Mr. Skamperle voting not to terminate Mr. Sciorra. The Council listed the following 6 reasons for termination:

·         He did not follow-up beyond emails to subordinates pertaining to the Knox Street property.

·         He did take action to ensure his direction to staff was followed.

·         He allowed the Knox Street property fall between the cracks.

·         He chronically failed to supervise City Agencies.

·         He made false and misleading statements to City Council.

·         He made false and misleading statements to the press.

The next trick will be to substantiate these charges or enough to justify terminating his contract without paying him 6 months of severance pay.

Journal Article

City Not Taking Money For the 150 Tickets



         City Giving Violators a Break

A few people I know went to pay their fine and their money was returned. Someone is doing the right thing. The weather was not an issue that night , therefore issuing these tickets was not warranted.

 

Journal:Lights On The River Begins

Lights on the River

A Must See!  The light display at Lisbon Beach has taken off in the North Country with approximately 50 displays.  Donations are accepted, but admission is free.  Donations will go to local food pantries throughout St. Lawrence County.

A Must See

Journal:Sciorra Faces Employment Review

The Tax Payers are Screwed

Looks like a bad review is just the first step to City Council getting rid of Mr. Scoirra.  If it will be that easy! "Ogdensburg's charter requires that the city manager serve for an indefinite term." Sounds like the City Charter should be amended to annual reviews. 

"If the employee's performance is deemed unsatisfactory, a follow-up review is scheduled, and if the employee has not addressed the issues raised by the supervisor, termination may be considered." Sounds like the City Manager will have a chance to amend his ways before he can be fired. 

Journal Review

Journal:Sex Offender's Sentencing Adjourned

Sex Offendr Label on Car, House, and Clothing!

Hopefully, Alexander K. McLean, AKA Child Sex Offender, is being held in County Jail and not roaming the streets of the River City?  McLean is one reason for the creation of a Prison System.

Journal Sex Offender

Journal:City Lifts Parking Weather Exemption

Snow or No Snow, No Parking Here!

Enforcement of the parking band, during this snowless holiday season has made a lot of people unhappy in the River City. It almost appears to be a back door approach to generating revenue for legal representation, lol. The forecast for the week was mild, rainy, and temperature 40 or above for the week...you can only imagine the faces of the working class heading to work that morning with a ticket under their wiper blade.

"Inclement weather is here," Mr. Polniak said. "That's why we're enforcing it now." If it is, Mr. Polniak is the only one who has seen it. Ticketing the cars would not have solved the problem, they were on the road for the night. What happen to that warning ticket that was put on your car when the weather starts to change.

All the drug dealers must have stayed in that night due to the inclement weather.

Journal Parking
 

Journal:City Hires Counsel, May Need More

This is Going to Get Ugly

The voters want Mr. Sciorra fired and the voters will end up footing the bill due to a bungled and mishandled investigation on the Knox Street property. 

Who writes, who reviews, and who is responsible for the City entering into iron clad contracts that protect everyone but the City! The City Manager's contract has built in protection, and built in raises. I think it was a year after Mr. Sciorra took office and City Council enacted a raise that was missed.  

Mr. Sciorra is looking for his next contractual raise which states "he is entitled to any normal salary increases extended to other city employees". When did we stop basing raises on performance and did anyone read this contract besides Art?

Journal Hires Counsel

Journal:City Manager Files Notice Of Claim



Everyone is Lawyering Up!

The fingers are pointing, everyone is lawyering up, and the City and tax payers will be footing the bill. There will be no winner just one big loser, Ogdensburg the River City.

The Knox Street family living rent free, in a City owned home, rehabilitated with grant money, and the purchase was covered by grant money came to head during a tight mayoral race which exacerbated the hype. Many were jumping to conclusions and there was blood in the water. Mr. Sciorra admitted in a Journal Article when the Knox Street property broke; that he could not read his emails and appeared to have little oversight of his department heads...this appeared to everyone that he could not do his job.

The loss of millions of dollars in grant funds for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program is the first kick the City will take. It is believed these monies were lost because of the disastrous collapse of our grant program...how it was managed, and the turmoil between City Council, the City Manager, and City Planner that surrounded the Knox Street mess.

It is indicated that these grants were administered properly, which is hard to believe considering how the City earned income from self-administration of grant money. Ethically this does not seem right that 2 families and the City are the only winners with over $200,000.00 in grant money. The distribution does not seem very equitable.


Journal Files Claim
Journal No Funds

Journal:Report Splits Council Members

Art Said I'm not Lazy I'm Just Laissez-Faire

Hey Art the Buck Stops Here! The City Manager is paid to run our City. If it slipped through the cracks, if Woods, Cosmo, and Gebo are not doing their jobs the buck stops with Art. It appear he had a very laissez-faire approach, never following up with his department heads and allowing procrastination and avoidance prevail.

With the City Council Split on Art's outcome, and a possible payout for wrongful termination, we may just wait until the beginning of the year and not renew his contract (I think it is up next year).


Journal Article Split

Journal:CountyTax Levy Raise Approved

Not in Our County, 5.5% Tax Levy

We think we have problems! The County raised the tax levy 5.5%, over twice the 2% cap legislated. One of the few that attended the meeting insinuated that the members of the County Board are "entwined with their own relatives and union affiliations to look out for the taxpayer."

Legislator Lightfoot believed the Board should be more involved in developing the County's Budget. Sending direction to the Department Heads and not just listening to Department Heads justifying their budget sounds like a great idea. Things appear a little ass backwards at the County level.

Journal Tax Levy

Journal:Council Votes To Release Report

FOILED REQUEST

Looks like City Council would like to release the report on how the Knox Street property was managed. The Wladis Law Firm indicated in the Journal article, paragraph two that most of the report created by City Attorney Silvers was protected by exemptions in FOIL Requests. Third paragraph states "There is nothing in the report that jumped out at me as something that the city could not release." I am not sure who is saying what.

You would think our City Attorney could have advised council if the report should of been released. We can spend $195.00 to hire Wladis Law Firm because Silver disqualified himself.

I have to agree with Mr. Freeman that the FOIL (Feedom of Information Law) request was not handled properly, almost like the Knox Street property. Hopefully this issue can be put to rest and we can concentrate on the quality of life in Ogdensburg.

Journal: Release Report

Journal:Tired of Gridlock, Voters Leave Major Parties

Can We Trust Our Party?

What member of any political party has not felt the frustrations of the party leaders or candidates
Mike Long, Conservative Chairperson went against local endorsements which created much acrimony among the membership. These examples exist in every political party and we see this locally every election year.

Political organizations and politicians will do and say whatever to retain power or office. Core beliefs of party and politician will be abandoned to retain a position of stature. So the cycle continues until the voters base their vote on substance, not name recognition, not on one issue, and not popularity but on the issues that continue to hamper efficient and open government.

We elect a new City Council and no one knows what their position is on a tax increase but everyone knows that a family lived in a City owned house on Knox Street for three years rent free. Which of these two issues will impact us the most? What has happened to the quality of life on the streets of Ogdensburg? Granted, Knox St. opened up a door and a little house cleaning was accomplished, but what are the bigger issues.

Journal Parties

Journal:Tech Company Considers CityFacility

Tech Company & Ogdensburg?

There may be a bright light at the end of the tunnel that leads to the Bridge and Port. Ephesus Technologies LLC, a Syracuse nanotechnology firm is looking to move in to the Ansen Inc. building. A business on the cutting edge of LED lighting, which has been using Clarkson University as a research partner.

Unlike the General Propulsion Inc., which was based on a political agenda and a contract from the defense department, Ephesus is waiting for the announcement of 1 billion in grant money that will be announced next Thursday.

If they get the grant money it could lead to a new manufacturing plant, which could lead to hiring 100 employees and 25 engineers. Let's keep our fingers crossed this could be the boost the area is looking for!

Journal Tech Company

Ephesus Technologies LLC Link