LETTER from ONEONTA COMMON COUNCIL & Otsego County Board of Representatives So Where Do You Stand? Democracy? Insurrection? To the Editor: The violence in D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021, which led to the deaths of five people, have clarified the one question that needs to be asked of our country, state and regional representatives: Are you for the democratic process or are you for insurrection? There is no longer any nuance, thanks to the actions of a group of pro-President…
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City Clerk Nancy Powell Retires; Deputy Clerk Steps Into Position 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…
Public Hearing Tonight On City Mask Ordinance ONEONTA – A public hearing on the city’s new mask law will be heard as part of tonight’s Common Council meeting at 7 p.m. over Zoom. The ordinance, which codifies the state’s public health law, would require masks to be worn whenever social distancing can not be maintained, including during large gatherings in private homes. It passed Common Council 5-2, with one abstention.…
Residency Requirement, Budget Debated For City Administrator By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – Residency and the budget process were two of the strongly-debated topics as Common Council continues refining the City Manager role to a City Administrator. “We’ve had so many issues with the last three city managers finding a place to stay, as well as issues with our housing stock, that we should allow the City Manager to live outside the city,” said Council member Dave…
Common Council Moves To Change City ‘Manager’ To ‘Administrator’ By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – It could be as easy as changing a few words. “It is more apparent to me that we have a job that is titled ‘city manager’ in the Charter, but if you look at the description, it describes a city administrator,” said Mayor Gary Herzig during a special meeting of the Common Council this evening. “The last three people we recruited as…
Councilman Carson: ‘Better To Hold Fast’ Motion Tabled To Accept $5K From Bombers’ Sale By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – In a 5-3 vote, Common Council this evening tabled the motion to release the city’s $50,000 mortgage on the Bombers’ Burrito Bar property for just $5,000 to the state Business Development Corp., citing hopes that a local buyer might help them negotiate a better price. “There has been local interest,” said Len Carson, Fifth Ward, who made…
Common Council OKs Black Lives Matter Art On Westcott Lot Fence ONEONTA – Elizabeth Patterson, an Oneonta native and resident of Germantown, has received approval from Oneonta Common Council to hang a display supporting the Black Lives Matter movement on the fence above the Westcott Lot. “The Westcott Lot is a perfect canvas,” said Patterson, owner of Ailish Floral, Germantown. “I want it to be visible to traffic and pedestrians.” Her piece, which will include photos of black men and…
Ruth Allen’s Passing Announced To Council ONEONTA – Ruth Allen, 80, a frequent fixture of Oneonta civic life and community boards, died this morning, Common Council Member John Rafter, Seventh Ward, announced this evening during the Common Council meeting. She served on the Huntington Library Board and chaired the city’s Housing Task Force under Mayor Dick Miller, and most recently, she was a member of the Survive, Then Thrive task force.…
Murphy’s Anti-Racism Resolution Approved With 3 COVID Cases In Oneonta, Mayor Reaffirms Need For Caution By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – With three new COVID-19 cases confirmed in the City of Oneonta, Mayor Gary Herzig implored business owners and citizens to continue wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands. “We’ve had six weeks without any cases, so to have three new ones is a significant wake-up call,” he said during tonight’s Common Council meeting. “People are telling…
COMMON COUNCIL VOTE TUESDAY Murphy’s First Resolution: No Place For Racism Here By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – Freshman Common Council member Luke Murphy will submit his first resolution at Tuesday’s meeting, reaffirming the City of Oneonta will continue working for equality and inclusion. The resolution seeks to “ensure that all its citizens receive equal treatment under the law, supports actions that ensure equity in the way our community is policed, and furthermore renounces all acts of…