Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Assets First Aid Squad topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ogdensburg council votes to begin ordinance to auction former First Aid Squad property and closes building to public use
Summary
At the Jan. 13 meeting the Ogdensburg mayor and council voted to begin an ordinance to auction the borough's recently acquired First Aid Squad building and voted to close the structure to public and private use immediately amid disputes over maintenance and septic status.
Ogdensburg’s mayor and council voted Jan. 13 to begin the ordinance process to auction the borough’s recently acquired First Aid Squad property and simultaneously closed the building to public and private use effective immediately.
Councilman Rich Ciasullo, who made the motions, said the governing body had not settled on how the borough would use the property since taking possession and that the council lacked basic maintenance and cost information. “After acquiring the first aid squad property we really haven't talked about what was to become of the property since back in March,” Ciasullo said during the meeting, urging that the council decide whether to keep or dispose of the asset.
Borough Attorney Robert McBriar told the council that auctioning municipal property requires an ordinance and that legal and title issues (including a deed reverter clause discussed in the meeting) would need review before sale. “The only way municipal property can be auctioned off is via ordinance,” McBriar said, summarizing the legal route and the options for obtaining market value or returning the property to prior owners if deed restrictions apply.
The council debated whether the building had been maintained by public works since acquisition and whether systems — most notably the septic — had been inspected. Mayor George P. Hutnick said DPW crews had been visiting the property for routine checks to prevent disrepair; other council members said they had not been aware of ongoing maintenance and raised concerns about the budgetary impact of another town-owned building.
On a roll-call vote to start the ordinance process to auction the property, the motion passed with Councilmen Ciasullo, Lame and Councilwoman Ruitenberg voting yes; Councilwoman Cowdrick and Councilman DeMeo voted no; Councilman Gandarinho was recorded as an abstention earlier in the discussion. Separately, the council voted 4–2 to close the First Aid Squad building to public and private use until further notice.
The council also directed staff and counsel to prepare next steps for disposition: the borough attorney will draft the ordinance and investigate title, deed restrictions and options for marketing the property or returning it to prior owners if a mandatory reverter applies. The council discussed the possibility of auctioning multiple parcels together for administrative efficiency and authorized the attorney and staff to research and prepare necessary paperwork.
Mayor Hutnick and several council members emphasized the item remains a policy issue for the governing body and that any final sale or reuse plan will return to the council for a formal vote. The council additionally discussed removing aging ambulances at the site and directed staff to pursue disposition options; one ambulance was subsequently discussed for transfer to the Wallkill Valley First Aid Squad for consideration by resolution at a future meeting.
Next steps: the attorney will draft the ordinance language and report back with title/reverter findings and a recommended schedule for public notice and auction if the council elects to proceed.
