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Ogdensburg council explores leasing borough water system to address infrastructure costs
Summary
Council members discussed researching long-term leasing arrangements for the borough water system as a way to address aging infrastructure and regulatory costs; members agreed to pursue more information from the borough engineer and attorney.
At the June 8 meeting, Councilman Ciasullo asked the council to investigate whether leasing or entering a long-term lease arrangement for the borough’s water system could relieve the borough of maintenance obligations while providing capital for improvements.
Ciasullo said he has received information from another municipality that used a long-term lease model and suggested the borough could structure arrangements so land remains municipal while operational responsibility is leased for a set period; he emphasized the need to consult the borough engineer and attorney before drafting bid specifications. "We need to talk to the engineer and attorney to see if it is worth putting a bid spec together," Ciasullo said. Councilman DeMeo asked for a copy of the contract referenced, and Ciasullo said he would email it to colleagues.
Mayor George Hutnick and other council members agreed there is no harm in gathering additional information and directed follow-up: council members will collect more details, and the administration will ask engineers and legal counsel to review feasibility, potential impacts on water rates, and regulatory obligations including any provisions relevant to Brooks Flat.
The minutes record that council members framed the idea as exploratory; no motion, vote or formal commitment to pursue a sale or lease was taken at the meeting.
