2 ONEONTAS REACH 5-YEAR FIRE PACT Council, Town Board Must Adopt Agreement By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – Town Supervisor Bob Wood and Mayor Gary Herzig met this morning to propose a five-year fire contract, with the town paying $1.15 million in 2019. “It wasn’t a difficult thing,” said Wood. “The current contract of $1.1 million had no formula in place, so we looked at a modified version of the old formula to come up with this…
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FIRE CONTRACT
Editorial, August 10, 2018 The Arithmetic Is Inexorable: 2/3rds City, 1/3rd Town Fire District. Make The Deal Judges generally are loath to get involved in situations that should be resolved through the political process. But once in a while their hand is forced. Such seems to be the case shaping up in the now years-long standoff between Oneonta City Hall and the Town of Oneonta Board of Fire Commissioners over what the town should pay to be covered by professional…
2 Candidates Sought To Run For Oneonta Fire District Vacancies ONEONTA – The Town of Oneonta Fire District today announced elections to fill two fire commissioner vacancies will be held 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, at the Elm Park Methodist Church, 401 Chestnut St. Candidates are needed for one five-year term that begins on Jan. 1, 2018 and ends on Dec. 31, 2022, and one two-year term that begins Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 31, 2019.…
Common Council OKs Extension Of Fire Pact Until Valentine’s Day By LIBBY CUDMORE • for www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – With less than 72 hours before the expiration of its fire contract Town of Oneonta Fire District #1, Common Council this afternoon voted to extend the contract 45 days, as recommended by state Supreme Court Judge Michael V. Coccoma at last Thursday’s hearing. “It’s unfortunate that this is how we have to do business,” said Mayor Gary Herzig during the special meeting. “But I’m confident that…
Judge Coccoma Tells City, Town To Negotiate Temporary Fire Pact By LIBBY CUDMORE • for AllOTSEGO.com COOPERSTOWN – A state Supreme Court judge this morning ordered the City of Oneonta and Town of Oneonta Fire District #1 to negotiate an extension to the current contract so the Oneonta Fire Department can continue protecting homes and businesses after midnight Dec. 31. “It’s not the role of the court to negotiate a contract,” said Judge Michael V. Coccoma. “But I’ll make myself available.” During the hour-long hearing in…
Mayor Herzig Drafts Response To Fire Commissioners, Lawyer ONEONTA – Below is the letter from Oneonta City Mayor Gary Herzig sent today in response to attorney Terence Hannigan, esq., a lawyer representing the Town of Oneonta Fire District. Hannigan had requested additional data on the number of fire calls to the town fire district. Dear Mr. Hannigan: I am in receipt of your letter of December 21,2015, notifying me that the Town District Fire Commissioners do not wish to meet unless the…
Town May Lose Fire Protection By Year’s End OFD Layoffs Possible, Too, If Negotiations Still Stalled By JIM KEVLIN • for AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – The vast majority of the Town of Oneonta – from Brooks BBQ to the Southside to the single-family neighborhoods beyond the city’s West End – faces the possibility of losing the professional protection of the city’s Oneonta Fire Department at midnight on Dec. 31. Likely, that would also require Oneonta Fire Department layoffs. Since taking office…