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Ogdensburg council sets tax interest rates, posts legal notices online and approves professional contracts at reorganization meeting
Summary
At its Jan. 2 reorganization meeting the Ogdensburg Borough Mayor and Council adopted a package of routine resolutions: setting delinquent tax interest and a 10-day grace period, directing legal notices to the borough website, awarding several professional-service contracts and making personnel appointments including a provisional Code Enforcement Officer.
Mayor George P. Hutnick called the Borough of Ogdensburg reorganization meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2026, and the council completed a slate of routine organizational business and consent resolutions.
The council approved a consent agenda by roll call — Yeas: Brenda Cowdrick, Michael DeMeo, Gandarinho, Kristopher Gordon and Lame; Absent: Ciasullo — that included a range of administrative and financial items. Key actions included setting delinquent tax and water-utility interest rates under Resolution 01-2026, adopting a legal-notice publication policy under Resolution 02-2026, and awarding multiple professional-service contracts under Resolution 06-2026.
Resolution 01-2026 sets interest on delinquent taxes and water utility charges at 8% per annum on the first $1,500 of a delinquency and 18% per annum on amounts in excess of $1,500; it also authorizes a 6% penalty for any taxpayer with a delinquency exceeding $10,000 that remains unpaid at calendar-year end, and establishes a 10-day grace period for quarterly tax payments effective Jan. 1, 2026. The council voted to publish that resolution in the borough's official newspaper and provide certified copies to key officials.
Under Resolution 02-2026 the borough will publish official legal notices on a dedicated webpage at https://ogdensburgnj.org/legal-notices/ and maintain an Internet archive of notices for at least one year; the resolution also directs twice-monthly online advertising in 2026 that will point readers to the borough site. The policy cites P.L. 2025, c.72 and the Open Public Meetings Act as the legal framework for the change.
The council approved multiple professional-service contracts and appointments under Resolution 06-2026 and related items: Van Cleef Engineering (engineering/planning at $160/hour for the principal engineer), Schenck, Price, Smith & King LLP (legal services, $3,500 monthly retainer with specified hourly rates for non-retainer matters), Wielkotz & Company LLC (municipal auditor, $32,000 annual fee), Community Action Services/Steven J. Weinberg (grants administration), Arthur J. Gallagher (risk management consultant), Rogut McCarthy LLC (bond counsel), and Reliable Restoration Logistics LLC (water-treatment-plant operator — $24,000 annual fee plus specified hourly labor rates). The council also authorized a Continuing Disclosure Agent Services contract with Phoenix Advisors LLC under Resolution 16-2026 (base fee not to exceed $1,600 for up to three outstanding issues).
Resolution 17-2026 authorized application for membership in the NJ Solutions Joint Health Insurance Fund and consented to execute the fund's bylaws and indemnity/trust agreement, subject to acceptance by the fund. Resolution 18-2026 provisionally appointed Joseph Setticase as the borough's Code Enforcement Officer/Zoning Officer effective Dec. 22, 2025, at $32.00 per hour for four hours per week, pending New Jersey Civil Service Commission action and a negative criminal-history background check.
On personnel motions the council named Michael DeMeo as Council President, appointed Councilman Gandarinho as the borough's Land Use Board representative, confirmed the 2026 borough appointments, and accepted the Ogdensburg Fire Department's list of officers, members and drivers for 2026. The council also adopted Resolution 12-2026 establishing the regular 2026 meeting schedule (second and fourth Mondays with specified exceptions) and approved an amendment moving the Oct. 14 meeting to Oct. 13.
"We will move forward with all the progress we are currently doing; we have a good team," Mayor Hutnick said during opening remarks.
The meeting lasted about 19 minutes and adjourned at 7:19 p.m. The council recorded its votes by roll call on motions and resolutions; all recorded votes in the minutes were unanimous among members present.
