Times Union:Budget passes with smiles

Three Men In a Room Get an On Time Budget

NYS has a budget and it is on time and like the article said it was during daylight hours. That was one of the only daylight moves after Governor Cuomo has promised a transparent government and cutting costs. He held both the Senate's and Assembly's feet to the coals throughout the process. Cuomo got his Tier 6 on the backs of state works, DNA testing unless you're caught smoking pot, on time budget, bridged a 3 billion dollar gap. The Senate and the Assembly got education money restored and new district lines. The Governor has been twisting both Skelos' and Silver's arms and much of the last minute, late night, 3 men in a room is still part of the daily business of Albany.

Times Union Budget


  

Journal:City predicts fuel prices mean budget crunch



Gas Prices, Up UP UP and UP

Gas keeps going up up up and up.   Lucky for the City they only plowed a few times this year.  This should help to offset some of the costs.  This looks like a good time to look at the Friday local grass pick-up again.  Pick-up twice a year or when large trees are taken down. Then we can let the private sector take care of the rest.  Same 50 people calling the City every week to pick-up a bag of grass, something has to give.

Journal Fuel

Journal:City encourages Marina District businesses to apply for grants

Grant Money is Running Out!

Line up, the grant money is running out. Who could be the two unidentified marina district owners that applied for the grant money? This may be the end of grant money for awhile. The Knox Street debacle surely hampered the City's ability to get further grant money.

Journal Marina

Journal:Growth fund members will revise bylaws

Growth Fund Bylaws See Minor Changes

The Albany law firm of Harris-Beach has revised the bylaws for the Ogdensburg Growth Fund Development Corp. Mr. Silver will review the changes and present them to the Board.  The article indicates minor changes to the bylaws, which you think could be done in house. 

Journal Growth Fund

Journal:St. Hilaire denies Hassett hearing

Resignation is Not an Option!

Just goes to show you, DO NOT QUIT OR RESIGN, LET THEM FIRE YOU! Mr. Hassett should of talked to our City Manager before he resigned his position, lol.

Journal St. Hilaire

We Care!

Mr. Ladouceur has brought Christmas joy to the community but was robbed of much of his decorations Thursday night. Forty to fifty holiday-decorated pieces of plywood were stolen from his home. Who would and what would anyone do with that many pieces of plywood with decorations on the side? Hopefully they will show up before the next holiday season. Many people enjoyed the display that was erected by a group of community minded volunteers.

Thursday was also a bad night for the skateboard park and Kids Kingdom.  The skateboard ramps were flipped over, a fire started, and the chain link fence cut. Kids Kingdom also had some minor damage but it all adds up. Mr. Curatolo believes that there could be over $2000.00 in damages. The skateboard park has been closed and the kids who use the park are paying the price of the vandalism.

There must be some talk on the street and hopefully the police can handle these crimes against the community.

Journal Ogdensburg skateboard park closes after vandalism 

Journal Ogdensburg Christmas display robbed

Journal:Ogdensburg school budget to abide by tax cap

What Tax Cap!

“I’m happy we’ll stay within the confines of the legislation. However, I am not at all happy that little to nothing has been done with mandate relief,” Mr. Vernsey said. Why would he want mandate relief, they can go above the 2% tax cap legally.  Just a joke!

Journal Budget

Journal:Ogdensburg councilman: make manager hire first priority

Art, they need a City Manager in Ogdensburg.  I know!

Mr. Morley said “It isn’t that I don’t think you’re doing a great job, Phil,” City Council needs to move forward with hiring a new City Manager. Well if he is doing a great job, and has done both jobs before maybe we could hire Mr. Cosmo.

If the Council hires another firm to search for a new City Manager we may end up with another Sciorra. Someone needs to do a thorough investigation on his work history.  We do not need a City Manager that is moving on because he has to. This should be interesting and I can only imagine the cost of finding a new City Manager.

Journal Manager

Journal:Ogdensburg Expo tickets on sale

Let's Get Those Expo Tickets! The 36th Annual Expo will be held March 23 to 25 at the Golden Dome. Director Thomas P. Luckie Jr. indicated that 1/3 of his budget comes from funds raised at the Expo. Sounds like the Dome will be packed with vendors. Remember this one is "for the kids".

Ogdensburg's.

Journal:Contractor sues doctor building dispute

The courts will sort this one out!

Mr. Howe, a local contractor is accusing Dr. Herzog for not completely paying him for the construction of a home.

Oral contracts are unheard of these days...this is a $520,000 handshake deal, someone will learn a very good lesson from this mess.

Dr. Herzog plans a countersuit against Mr. Howe.

Journal Building Dispute

Journal:Hammond wind lawsuit heads to court

Wind in Hammond?

Will there be wind in Hammond? The courts will decide on March 16 if the law passed by the Hammond Town Board will hold up under the scrutiny of NYS Supreme Court. Mrs. McQueer, Mr. Demick, Mr. Hadlock and Mr. Buck are represented by Scott B. Goldie of Conboy, McKay, Bachman & Kendall in hopes they can reverse the local law. The court is the final step and will decide if these landowners will have wind turbines on their property; which adds up to about $900.00/month/wind turbine.

Journal Wind

 

Journal:Main Street Money Remains

Line Up - Another Grant

Another grant available for a poorly designated commercial area, along the Oswegatchie River, and the deadline is in two weeks. Call us and we will tell you if you qualify. What is wrong with this picture?

With such a small area you would think C. W. Augustine would target the owners that exist with viable options on the use of this money. Off the top of my head our new marina, the old building supply (Duffy's), Veritas Tools (is it still there?), Fort La Presentation, Time Warner, plus plenty of City owned property exist along the river.

This will be a last ditch effort to throw money at any kind of project just to spend it. That is why we had the Knox Street issue. Knox Street was with the "guidelines of the grant" but was a totally botched process and application of grant money that cost the city more money than it was worth. Time for C. W. Augustine to start earning the administration fee.

I have a good view of the Oswegatchie River, maybe I qualify.

Journal Grant