Village Accepts $2.5M South End Bid, Passes Noise Law Changes

By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
COOPERSTOWN

The Village of Cooperstown Board of Trustees passed changes to its noise law focused on setting limits on mechanical noise and approved a mutual aid agreement with the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office at their regular meeting on Monday, February 23. The board also accepted a $2.5 million bid from Anjo Construction, LTD to complete the first phase of the South End project.

The bid was the second lowest, and was recommended to be accepted by the village’s contracted engineering firm, Herrmann Engineering, PLLC.

“In summary, Anjo Construction, LTD has completed similar type and scale projects in the past, including two sewer projects in the Village of Cooperstown from our design team, and are fully capable of completing this project in accordance with all contract documentation,” the firm advised in a letter to village officials.

The project will occur on Delaware, South, Beaver, and Chestnut streets and includes sewer, water, storm, and re-paving work.

The noise law amendments set certain decibel limits for mechanical sounds, with some exemptions including a school bell. The legislation passed unanimously.

“The intention here is to ensure that when people are putting mechanical equipment outside, like heat pumps,” Deputy Mayor Cindy Falk (D) said, “that those heat pumps are quiet. That they don’t sound like a hair dryer or vacuum cleaner. You can still blow your leaves, you can still have a barbecue, you can still play music.”

The board unanimously approved a revised mutual aid public safety agreement with the City of Oneonta and the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office.

In prior meetings, board members expressed concern about language in what had previously been a standard mutual aid agreement. The original text of the agreement included a provision for the agencies “Conducting joint investigations and executions of warrants.”

With the Sheriff’s Office signing an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to execute immigration warrants in the county jail and the village passing a resolution critical of ICE this past fall, some board members postponed a vote to ensure the village would not be agreeing to participate in immigration enforcement.

The new text of the agreement calls for cooperation on “judicial warrants,” which must be signed by a judge, unlike ICE administrative warrants which have frequently been used in ICE’s deportation campaign.

“It’s undergone a lot of scrutiny from various sources,” said Trustee George Fasanelli (D). “I think we’re very, very close to a working document that defines fairly clearly how certain situations are handled, including situations involving people who may be facing issues with immigration.”

“We feel very confident that the village police department will follow through with the board’s decisions and board’s resolutions that it cannot do immigration enforcement,” Cooperstown Police Department Officer-in-Charge Jess Lanza told board members.