County Representatives Discuss Electrification and Sprinklers, COVID and Foreclosures

By KRISTIAN CONNOLLY
OTSEGO COUNTY

It’s a curious feature of Otsego County government that the monitor which displays voting results on matters before the Board of Representatives is set up so that every member is already listed as a “Yay” before a vote is even called on any particular issue.

In that sense, it came as no surprise that a raft of resolutions bundled into the consent agenda—as well as one resolution edited in order to fix a typo, and an added resolution following an executive session—were all unanimously approved by board members at their regular meeting on September 4 in the Otsego County Board Chambers.

With all votes taking place without public discussion, most of the board’s conversation during the monthly meeting took place amid the reports given by the chairs of various board committees.

The September meeting started with SUNY Oneonta President Alberto Cardelle and Otsego Now Chief Executive Officer Jody Zakresvky each making presentations to the board, with both leaders speaking about their entity’s relationship with Otsego County government; the role that their institution or organization fills in the county; projects that each has underway or on the horizon that will be to the benefit of the county; and the various challenges each entity faces—particularly in recruitment and retention of staff.

Following the presentations and committee reports, the board’s consent agenda contained a host of resolutions asking to approve committee decisions on department requests concerning everything from the construction of tiny homes for the unhoused to creating or abolishing county staff positions, to software, technology, or equipment purchases.

The lone resolution that substantially differed from the rest came out of the Public Safety and Legal Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Daniel Wilber. Resolution 301, as proposed, said the county board was “opposing updates to the New York State uniform fire prevention and building code requiring automatic fire sprinkler systems in all new residential construction and to the state energy conservation construction code prohibiting fossil fuel equipment and building systems in all new construction.”