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The November 19 Oneonta Common Council meeting attracted about 25 concerned citizens, the equivalent of a full house. There were 20 motions on the agenda. The council debated various issues for more than four hours. Just before 10 p.m., the council approved the proposed 2025 budget and voted to exceed the tax cap. By this time, only three members of the audience remained. Two were city employees, Brian Knapp, the fire chief, and Chris Yacobucci, director of Public Works.…
“Having watched the spirit of our community fracture during these past two months, and holding, as I do, the ideal of collaboration and respect for one another, I was forced to a difficult decision,” Mayor Drnek said in an e-mail on Wednesday, March 27.…
The proposed Rehabilitation Support Services housing project at 27 Market Street has been met with strong public push-back, but city officials contend that misinformation, disinformation and fear are driving the response.…
City of Oneonta community members who call themselves Citizens That Care held their own Town Hall meeting on Sunday, March 3, in response to not feeling heard by Common Council members and Mayor Mark Drnek at a city-sponsored Town Hall on February 27.…
We, the concerned citizens of greater Oneonta, are frustrated by the apparent lack of transparency in the administration of our City Hall government. Dear Mayor Drnek and city staff, your behaviors of ignoring us are clear and your unwillingness to listen and act accordingly is causing this divide in our city.…
According to Montanti, Michaels corporate reached out to Southside several years ago, and the craft-supply store made a perfect fit for the storefront recently vacated by Office Max. She said that new offerings are found by mall team scouting and solicitation from companies.…
Procedures Ready, But Blocked In Phase 4 Montanti: ‘No Reason’ Southside Mall Can’t Open By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – As the Otsego County hovers on the brink of entering Phase Four under NY Forward, Luisa Montanti, Southside Mall manager, has been receiving “hundreds” of emails and texts, all asking the same question. “They ask,, ‘Why isn’t the mall open?’” she said. “I’m asking the same thing.” On Tuesday, Robert F. Mujica Jr., the state’s budget director,…
JC Penney Is Filing For Bankruptcy, But Store Here Likely Safe By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – Citing Southside Mall’s JC Penney as “one of the most profitable stores in the company,” mall manager Luisa Montanti today said she’s confident the anchor will remain open, even as the company files for bankruptcy. “I have no fears whatsoever,” she said. “The store consistently performs as one of the top 10 stores in the company and, by some metrics,…
Pop-Ups Will Help Pep Up Southside Mall By LIBBY CUDMORE• Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com ONEONTA – There’s only one place you can get board games, maple syrup, artisan jewelry and a new tattoo – Southside Mall. “We’re a small mall, but what we have is a large shopping experience,” said Luisa Montanti, Southside Mall general manager. Starting Black Friday, the mall welcomed 16 artisans and local food producers to set up tables to sell their wares, including Caribou Creek Knives, Rusted…
LETTER from LUISA MONTANTI Kaytee Shue, Candidate For Council, Good Manager To the Editor: I wanted to introduce you to Kaytee Lipari Shue, a professional colleague of mine, and also a lifelong 30 year resident of Ward 4. Kaytee, with her husband Jared, as new parents moved back to Oneonta to ensure their family would have the same rewarding experiences that Kaytee had growing up. Born and raised in Ward 4, Kaytee has the understanding, strength and a commitment to…