Letter from Charles Spencer

Council Has Said ‘No’ to RSS

No, not every resident has said “no” to Rehabilitation Support Services in the city. Many have shown support for RSS. There’s a whole group dedicated to it, and you’ve likely seen their signs around town. In fact, it was the City of Oneonta Common Council who said “no” to RSS and doubled down on it.

In May, the Common Council was asked to approve the sale of a vacant lot—“The Old Ford Building.” They were asked to sell it to RSS for a project the mayor claimed “would be the perfect spot” for low-income, mixed-use housing. When asked to sell to RSS, the council voted 5-3 not to. With a communal space on the ground floor of a beautifully designed building, which fit the Comprehensive Plan, the council said “no.” With an offer of $477,000.00 and planned PILOT agreement, the council said “no.” They didn’t say “no” to the residents or business owners of Oneonta. They said “no” to RSS.

To drive this home, on October 21, while residents responded to RSS plans to develop on River Street, the council hosted Grow America. A corporation that, for the low price of $60,000.00-$120,000.00, will design and develop site plans for 27 Market Street. Something RSS has already done, proposed and fought for. Oneonta city government didn’t say “no” to selling 27 Market. They said “no” to RSS.

After the vote, the mayor wrote a nice article based on a quote: “That’s baseball.” I think a quote by Frank Reynolds is more fitting—“That’s politics.”

Charles Spencer
Resident of the Sixth Ward of Oneonta since 2020, Otsego County since birth