The already tense atmosphere was exacerbated by the recent discovery that Briggs, who serves as deputy supervisor, failed to sign the oath of office for that position. As per state law, the oath book must be signed within 30 days of appointment. Thus, the town also now finds itself without a deputy supervisor.…
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Robert O'Brien
Bryan LoRusso and several former Town of Hartwick employees want Hartwick Town Board member Chris Briggs to resign. A contingent of concerned Hartwick residents wants LoRusso, also a Town Board member, to resign. Hartwick Town Supervisor Robert O’Brien will be relocating before the end of the year, leaving that post unfilled. And the town’s attorney, William Green, has resigned, effective January 1, 2025.…
Following the presentations and committee reports, the board’s consent agenda contained a host of resolutions asking to approve committee decisions on department requests concerning everything from the construction of tiny homes for the unhoused to creating or abolishing county staff positions, to software, technology, or equipment purchases.…
“This collaborative relationship with our Otsego County partners will ensure improved access to quality emergency medical transportation services for Bassett patients,” Thompson explained.…
According to County Administrator Steve Wilson, while the agreement is for 90 days, both parties will be working to develop a long-term plan. The shared goal of both Bassett and county officials is to streamline the way patients get needed ambulance transportation.…
Funding was made available by two grants under the Statewide Interoperable Communications Grant Program. It will be administered by the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and will directly support local emergency response capabilities and promote interoperability and compatibility for public safety agencies throughout the state.…
Three of the four candidates running for the two open seats on Hartwick’s Town Council, Jason Blaske (REP), Thomas J. Murphy (REP), and Pat Ryan (PRY), will be at the debate; candidate Bryan LoRusso (CON) was invited to participate but declined.…
Letter from Hudi Podolsky No Excuse for No Debate How can voters make informed choices if candidates refuse to debate? The League of Women Voters has long been trusted to take a completely non-partisan approach to hosting debates. We provide a neutral forum, with the rules clearly specified in advance to minimize any partisan activity by the audience to ensure that all candidates are fairly heard. Under the rigorously fair conditions we enforce at debates, we cannot see any legitimate…
The Elephant in the Ambulance Back in mid-October, shortly after General Manager and Senior Editor Darla M. Youngs was hired—and just as staff writer Ted Mebust came on board—our offices received a call from a volunteer EMS worker in northern Otsego County. This person spoke at length with Mebust, laying out concerns about lack of coordination and cooperation between Otsego County’s paid EMS service and its volunteer squads, general discontent among the rank and file, and real worries that these…
Otsego County EMSReaches Crossroads Part II: Recent Reports By TED MEBUSTOTSEGO COUNTY The New York State Emergency Medical Services Council’s “2023 EMS Agenda for Future,” released last month, inspected challenges involved in supplying EMS delivery by creating topic-specific subgroups to study agencies, education, government, support, operations, hospitals and staffing. The Center for Public Safety Management’s recent “EMS Services Delivery Report” did the same by analyzing data from the computer-aided dispatch system at Otsego County’ Emergency 911 center. Among the many…