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Ogdensburg council approves provisional DPW assistant and hires new laborer amid staffing concerns
Summary
Facing staffing and supervision gaps ahead of winter, the Ogdensburg Borough Council provisionally appointed Kenneth Smith as a part-time Assistant Supervisor for Public Works and approved a full-time Laborer hire, Joseph Steele. The votes split on the hires and prompted questions about funding and hiring process transparency.
The Ogdensburg Borough Council moved to address short-staffing in the Department of Public Works (DPW), provisionally appointing Kenneth Smith as Assistant Supervisor and hiring Joseph Steele as a full-time Laborer 1.
Mayor George P. Hutnick argued the provisional appointment was needed "to get the DPW back on track in time for winter," saying the appointee brings immediate skills and allows the borough to maintain operations while Civil Service processes proceed. The provisional post is part time (three days per week) at $30 per hour and will not exceed 12 months, the resolution states.
Council debate was robust. Councilwoman Ruitenberg questioned why the appointment was provisional rather than temporary and whether the candidate had been among the resumes previously circulated. She also raised concerns about the hiring process; Ruitenberg voted against the provisional appointment. The motion passed with Yeas from Cowdrick, DeMeo, Gandarinho and Lame; Ruitenberg recorded the lone Nay.
Separately, the council adopted Resolution 93-2025 to appoint Joseph Steele as a full-time DPW Laborer 1 effective Nov. 3, 2025, at an annual salary of $42,432, contingent on a negative background check. That hire also produced a divided vote: Yeas — Cowdrick, DeMeo, Gandarinho; Nays — Lame, Ruitenberg.
CFO Mike Marceau told the council the positions are funded from DPW accounts as previously presented. Council members pressing for more budget detail asked to confirm the funding lines in follow-up materials. The mayor emphasized the hires are intended to ensure plowing and winter readiness.
