ONEONTA – After five years, City Clerk Nancy Powell has announced her retirement, with deputy clerk Kerriann Harrington expected to be appointed by vote during the Common Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
“Nancy has a long history with the City of Oneonta,” said Mayor Gary Herzig. “She started as Oneonta’s first female firefighter, and has committed to serving the people of the city. We appreciate all she’s done and wish her all the best.”
ONEONTA – The mayor and a senior Council member have already opened conversations with Police Chief Doug Brenner on how to review departmental operations in the wake of nationwide unrest following the May 25 death of George Floyd while being taking into custody in Minneapolis.
“First of all, I have confidence in our police chief and police department,” Mayor Gary Herzig said a few minutes ago. “However, this is a time for all of us to do a little introspection and self-awareness and take a look at our operating procedures and our policies to make sure they are designed to do everything that we can to guard against any type of inequality in how we treat the public.”
He expects to be able to announce the form of the review – whether a commission, audit of OPD procedures, through Common Council or some other means – by the end of this week.
ONEONTA – NYSEG is scheduled to perform emergency transformer repairs this afternoon on Market Street, shutting off power to the south side of Main Street from Grand Street to the Otsego County Office Building, and the entirety of South Main Street, according to a message sent by City Hall.
Newly sworn-in Council member Luke Murphy hugs his grandmother, Violet Fallone, at today’s Oneonta Common Council ceremony at 1 p.m. in City Hall.
Mayor Gary Herzig welcomes an SRO crowd at today’s Common Council swearing-in, praising the political system. “Elections produce winners. But they don’t produce any losers.”
Newly elected Council member Luke Murphy poses with dad Jim, mom Laurie and brother Shamus.
Newly elected Councilman Mark Davies, the Hartwick College professor and city Environmental Board chair, take the oath of office from Judge Bernier. With him is wife Diana Portalatin and their daughter, Marly.
Veteran Council member Dave Rissberger takes the oath, with wife Rachel, son Gabriel and daughter Julia by his side.
Wife Betsy Holland accompanies husband Mark Drnek as he is swonn in as First Ward Council member.
Assemblyman John Salka, R-Brookfield, was on hand to congratulate the new Council members. To his right are Councilmembers Murphy and Davies.
County Democratic Committee vice chairman MacGuire Benton, Cooperstown, right, congratulates John Rafter’s wife Elizabeth and Mark Drnek during a reception in City Hall’s lobby.
Newly elected county Rep. Rick Brockway, R-Laurens, left, discusses governance with Joe Bernier, the City of Oneonta’s retired Community Development director.
ONEONTA – City Hall is planning a swearing-in ceremony for the six newly elected Common Council members, plus two incumbents, at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, in Common Council Chambers at 258 Main St. Mayor Gary Herzig will preside.
New council members are Luke Murphy (Ward 1), Mark Davies (2), Kati Lipari Shue (4), Len Carson (5), Scott Harrington (6) and Mark Drnek (8).
The first of two informational meetings on creating a county manager for Otsego County is at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, at Oneonta City Hall.
County Rep. Meg Kennedy, C-Hartwick, who chairs the county board’s Administration Committee, announced the second will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the Otsego County Courthouse in Cooperstown.
A public hearing on the creation of a county manager position was set for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, the county Board of Representatives next meeting.
After that hearing, the county reps could vote that same day on the position.
ONEONTA – The public hearing on the City of Oneonta’s proposed 2019 budget is at 6 p.m. this evening in Council Chambers,and Mayor Gary Herzig promises some good news.
“I am very pleased there will be no increase property taxes,” he said, “despite increasing costs in other areas, such as personnel.”
ONEONTA – In anticipation of the predicted snowfall, the City of Oneonta is lifting parking regulations in the parking garage and other municipal lots.
Drivers are reminded that anytime there is more than 2 1/2″ of snowfall, vehicles must be removed from city streets or they are subject to ticketing and/or towing at the vehicle owners expense.
ONEONTA – In anticipation of up to perhaps 15 inches of snowfall, predicted to begin this evening, City Hall has lifted restrictions of municipal lots as of 7 p.m. today so drivers can park there overnight. Cars parked on the street are towed after 2 ½ inches of snow falls.
ONEONTA – For Katie Böttger, joining City Hall as personnel director will be something of a homecoming.
“I’m actually going to be a ‘returning’ resident,” she said, “as I attended and graduated from Hartwick College.
A Canajoharie resident, Böttger, who is due to be appointed Tuesday by Common Council, said not only is she village clerk in Ames, she also serves at tax collector and registrar of vital statistics for the village.
Retiring Housing Rehabilitation Specialist Jeff House looks over the files of grants he’s worked on since joining City Hall full-time in 2008. Prior to that, he was a consultant for the city’s downtown revitalization efforts for 12 years. Today is his last day in City Hall, where he was also serving as the Acting Community Development Director after Bill Kerbin’s departure earlier this summer. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
ONEONTA – Kenneth R Stiefel, 93, who retired from the maintenance department at Oneonta City Hall, passed away Monday, July 18, 2016, at Albany Medical Center.
Kenneth was born in Oneonta on Oct. 9, 1922, to Mabel (Moon) and Frederick Stiefel.
He married Esther Coats on Oct. 31, 1953. They raised a family of four children and shared 47 years together before her passing in 2010.
ONEONTA – Kathy Wolverton, personnel director, has become the third top executive to leave City Hall in recent months.
Mayor Gary Herzig and Common Council accepted Wolverton’s resignation yesterday afternoon.
“While we are sad to have Ms. Wolverton leave City Hall, we expect that her decision to pursue new challenges will prove rewarding,” Herzig and Common Council member Larry Malone, Human Resources Committee chair, said in a statement released a few minutes ago.
Wolverton’s decision comes three months after the forced resignation of City Manager Martin Murphy, and two months since City Clerk Douglas Kendall resigned to become director of Hartwick College’s Yager Museum.
Finance Director Meg Hungerford, who is acting city manager, may now have to shoulder personnel responsibilities as well.
