Council working on police contract, employee health insurance

Ogdensburg Mayor George Hutnick said he assigned Councilman Nelson Alvarez as police commissioner to work in conjunction with Councilwoman Rachel Slater on the upcoming police contract.

He added, the new assignment will be for the reminder of the year, and Alvarez’s law enforcement background helps.

Councilman Peter Opilla said the state employee health insurance plan is coming up for renewal in October, with new options. He hopes to present information about the new employee insurance offerings at the next meeting.

Hough said the rates are going down, and the employees are happy with the plan, saying it is the best plan they have had in a long time.

Opilla said employees can pick whatever options they want and pay the differential.

Council President Michael Nardini reviewed the spreadsheet he implemented in the Ogdensburg Water Department.

He explained he would like to also implement the same spreadsheet with the DPW Department in order to track day-to-day routine maintenance, long-term projects, target dates, and costs.

Additionally, he said, if something is too expensive, they will budget for the project in 2020. Furthermore, he would like the water spreadsheet to be mingled with the DPW spreadsheet, and he hopes to limit contractor work in the future.

The water department is self-managing their spreadsheet now, Nardini said, and giving him updates. He continued that the council needs to show the borough they are proactively improving things, like the catch basins and hydrants.

Opilla said the DPW did a fantastic job repairing the Bettino Drive cul de sac curbing and storm drain.

Hutnick said they are waiting for the Predmore Road final numbers from the engineer; and they will also add the repairs to grants for which the borough is applying: water and spill way, drainage, catch basins, and storm drains.

Nardini said he will call the engineers for a price on a typical catch basin to use for the grants.

Nasisi recommended completing the catch basins before pavement projects, in order to avoid digging up completed pavement.