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County Board Hears Airport Update, Debates Casella Fuel Subsidies

By BILL BELLENOTSEGO COUNTY

Before the June 3 meeting of the Otsego County Board of Representatives was called to order, a public hearing was held regarding Otsego County’s application for $300,000.00 in Community Development Block Grants. These funds—which are supplied by the federal government and administered by the New York State Office of Community Renewal—are intended to support low- and moderate-income communities and will be distributed in the form of a microenterprise assistance program. Audience members offered no comments.

The board presented 22-year Otsego County Prosecutor John Muehl with a token of appreciation for his years of service in honor of his retirement at the end of 2025. Muehl thanked the board and expressed his passion for the profession.

“The office is in great shape,” Muehl said. “We have a great new DA coming up. The community will continue to be well served, which also makes me very happy.”

During the privilege of the floor, Aaron Mateunas, a former corrections officer, spoke about the recent arrest of Lieutenant Thomas Fellrath. Mateunas expressed his frustration with the case, sharing how upsetting it was seeing the third-highest officer in the Sheriff’s Office being caught with illicit substances while on taxpayers’ payroll. Mateunas echoed community concerns of lacking oversight within the Sheriff’s Office, questioning how abnormal travel on GPS-tracked vehicles went unnoticed and how someone of such rank felt confident enough to act this way.

“Was this routine, just neglect or something else?” Mateunas asked.

The board then transitioned to a presentation by Justin Osterhoudt, chairman of the Oneonta Municipal Airport Commission, and Matt Kent, the airport’s manager. Board Chairman Edwin Frazier Jr. reminded the audience that negotiations were held with the Airport Commission previously, with the county declining to take control of their operations and instead offering potential aid if two county officials were placed on the commission. Rep. Richard Brockway, who represents the district the airport is located in, and Otsego County IT Director Isaiah Gibbs, who has experience previously working for the Federal Aviation Administration, now fill those seats.

Osterhoudt shared that on-site obstruction removal and the fuel farm replacement are finished and nearing completion respectively, with the construction of a parallel taxiway now approved. Osterhoudt and Kent repeatedly cited lacking infrastructure and airway obstructions as the primary impediments to the airport’s operation, estimating three-fourths of potential traffic was unable to use the facility.