Tapped for Service COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown Democratic Committee caucus nominated George Fasanelli (left) and Joe Membrino (right) for reelection to the Cooperstown Village Board of Trustees on Monday, January 30. Current trustee MacGuire Benton has chosen to pursue the position of Otsego County clerk rather than running for reelection. The members of the committee thanked Benton for his four years on the board and for bringing a new generation into Cooperstown government. Similarly, Membrino has been on the board for four years—one year when appointed to fill out the term of former trustee Lou Allstadt and three years from his first elected term. The Cooperstown Village Board of Trustees election will be held from noon to 9 p.m. on March 21 at the Cooperstown Fire Department, 24 Chestnut Street.
Artist’s rendering for the Chestnut Crossing property proposed for 10 Chestnut St., shows the alleys, parking area and adjacent property on Pine Boulevard that will act as a buffer between the 13-unit rental property and its neighbors. (Greg Klein/AllOTSEGO.com)
COOPERSTOWN — More than 50 people packed the Cooperstown Central School cafeteria for a public hearing on the proposed Chestnut Crossing apartment complex at 10 Chestnut St.
The Cooperstown Village Board of Trustees moved the meeting to the middle/high school because of the public hearing, the first official chance for residents to speak for or against the 13-unit apartment complex proposed by Josh Edmonds and Francesca Zambello for two pieces of land they own on Chestnut Street and a third on Pine Boulevard.
The overflow crowd did not disappoint, with about 30 people speaking on the issue and two more speaking about a proposed licensing law for village-owned Cooperstown icons. Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh lifted the typical one-hour limit length for public hearings, gave each speaker five minutes to speak on each issue, and even allowed a handful of people to speak a second time or ask limited questions.
The public hearing portion of the meeting took more than two hours and the meeting itself wrapped up after 11 p.m, but Tillapaugh said she expected as much.
COOPERSTOWN – Jenna Utter, former deputy to Clerk of the County Board Carol McGovern, has been tapped to succeed Village Administrator Teri Barown as Village Clerk, following a unanimous vote by the Cooperstown Village Trustees at their meeting this evening.
Utter, a former assistant to County Board Clerk Carol McGovern “came with high recommendations,” said Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh.
For now, she will hold the position of village clerk, as did Barown from 2005 to 2015, when she was promoted to village administrator.
