Ogdensburg faced Presidents' Day water issues

OGDENSBURG — Ogdensburg Mayor George Hutnick reported two pumps went down leaving the borough without water until Presidents Day evening, he said at the Feb. 25 meeting.
Council President Michael Nardini explained, the borough forced the repair company to also fix Center Street. so both pumps are now operational.
Continuing, Nardini said he has scheduled a few small water fixes over the next weeks, including a check valve. Furthermore, he said, the quotes and requisitions are finished.
Regarding Water Capital, Nardini said he talked to the chief financial officer about 2019 repairs, and all of 2018 capital is used up. He will complete, Nardini said, another 2019 ordinance for repairs, a bad weather cushion, and surge protectors. He said, the surge protectors will help avoid another Plant Street issue.
In addition, he said, the borough does not need to do as much as last year.
The council passed an ordinance prohibiting parking on several streets and a drug free zone map.
Councilwoman Rachel Slater and Councilman Anthony Nasisi were absent.
Resolution tabledBorough Attorney Robert B. McBriar explained, before the budget is adopted, each councilperson needs to sign a certification stating they are familiar with a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s published guidance. Until the certification is signed, the council tabled the resolution authorizing compliance with the “Enforcement Guidance on the consideration of arrest and conviction records in employment decisions under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
The council will affix the signed certification to the resolution, Briar continued, and approve the resolution during a future meeting.
Additional businessPolice Chief Stephen Gordon said all three police applications were returned by the deadline, and they are beginning to complete background checks. Also, he said they have until April 22 to submit the applications into the Police Academy.
After the Borough Hall boiler was serviced and cleaned, Gordon said, they found an igniter wire shorted out to the case, resulting in the boiler periodically not starting. Furthermore, he said, the boiler had a cracked elbow, which needed to be replaced, and the expansion tank is starting to fail.
Borough Clerk Robin Hough said the hot water heater is fixed.
Councilman David Astor said he is waiting for the county to respond regarding which crosswalk mechanism they recommend. During a previous meeting, Astor and the county had discussed possibly moving the crosswalk to the right instead of the left side, so it would cross into a sidewalk instead of the school parking lot.
Astor also said Blue Diamond had picked up the garbage at the recycling center.
Hough said they had called, because the center was locked.
Astor responded they returned and were accommodating.
Hutnick tabled an employee policy discussion regarding Borough Hall closings during inclement weather until the next meeting, in order to have correct information in the employee handbook.