Ogdensburg OKs Heater's Pond loan

OGDENSBURG — The Ogdensburg Council unanimously authorized, on March 27, a $660,000 loan agreement with the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection to fund the rehabilitation of Heater's Pond Dam.
Mayor Steve Ciasullo said everything is falling into line regarding Heater's Pond Dam armoring.
In addition to what was previously reported, he said, they will apply to Sussex County Soil Conservation for a certificate, finalize specs for bidding, go out to bid around mid-July, draw down the pond water between September and October and begin construction in the fall through winter, depending on weather. Ciasullo added, work should be completed by early 2018.
Councilman David Astor asked if the school could work with the engineer and complete research, because it would be a great opportunity for students to get involved and be a part of history. He also suggested the High School Ecology Club participate.
So far, students have taken soil samples.
Councilman George Hutnick suggested students could also help with a potential trail around Heater's Pond.
Ciasullo said Department of Public Works Supervisor Chris Ross will meet with the first contractor regarding repairing the Beardslee Hill loop. Ultimately, Ross will meet with three contractors, said Ciasullo, and the council should have at least one estimate by the next meeting.
Ciasullo also said, the state building department concerns are still pending, and he will stay on top of it. He added he wanted to make sure the state building department was not hindering or making the process more difficult than necessary. He continued contractors should not be apprehensive of working in town or “charge according to the aggravation.”
Ciasullo said they are waiting for Elizabethtown Gas to send a mock-up of the paperwork they will send to residents.
Councilman Anthony Nasisi said, after receiving three quotes for the underground storage tanks, All American is the lowest at $1,900. He added, it was substantially lower to get both tanks pulled out, removed, drained, and certified filled than he had thought the cost would be for just one tank.
Nasisi said he verified with the building department that all permit fees are waived.
Ciasullo mentioned, capital funds will pay for the tank removals.
Regarding a possible court merger with Franklin, Ciasullo said, they still do not have estimates of the potential cost from Franklin.
Nasisi said, a potential court reporter interviewed on Friday, March 31, which could possibly impact a potential court merge.
Ciasullo said depending if they hire someone, the borough may continue without a court merger. If not, he said, they will need to push toward finalizing a possible merger, after receiving cost estimates for holding court one night a week. Ciasullo added, if they break the contract with the judge, the borough would still need to pay.
Officials discussed Heater's Pond water quality. Councilwoman Rachel Slater will schedule an appointment with Solitude in order to review potential council expectations.
Nasisi said he is discussing the possibility of saving money on borough electricity with American Power and Gas. He said, currently the borough spends over 10 cents a kilowatt hour, and American Power and Gas may be able to charge 8.5 cents a kilowatt hour. At the end of a year, he explained, American Power also rebates 25 percent of three specific charges. He commented, a penny and a half may not seem like much, but after the course of a year, it amounts to quite a bit. Nasisi will also talk to JCP&L to see if they will work with the borough in light of possible competition.
As to phone bills, Nasisi said, he is looking at the bills in order to save money and will discuss numbers and locations with Opilla. Currently, borough phone charges are around $22,000 per year.
Ciasullo said, now they have a telemetry system, working with radio frequency, and possibly some old phone lines may not be necessary.
Ciasullo opened the meeting with a moment of silence for resident Patricia Dolan. Dolan passed away at the age of 92 and was very involved in the community.