The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
PROVIDING UPDATES
Common Council moves on hens, Glenmore Dam; shares support for Red Cross Month
Mayor Rick Rossi and the Common Council addressed a number of issues at the March 5 meeting in the Council Chambers. Those issues included ongoing discussions of private hen ownership, addressing repairs to Glenmore Dam, and their support of the Red Cross.
Rossi issued a proclamation recognizing March as Red Cross Month. He presented Central and Northern New York Red Cross Chapter Executive Director Lisa Smith with a copy of the proclamation.
The American Red Cross, Eastern New York Region, is observing National Red Cross Month in March to honor local community heroes who help ensure their neighbors never face crises alone.
Red Cross Month is a national tradition that began in March 1943 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first Red Cross Month proclamation — and each U.S. president has followed ever since. Local proclamations will be presented during the month in the cities of Oneida and Syracuse.
“During Red Cross Month, we are proud to honor the people in our community who step up to support one another when help can’t wait during emergencies,” Eastern New York Region Chief Executive Officer Kevin Coffey said. “This relief and hope wouldn’t be possible without these local heroes. Please consider joining in their commitment by donating, volunteering, giving blood or platelets, or taking a lifesaving skills course.”
Join the Red Cross Month celebration by visiting redcross.org/eny.
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 551 Sayles St., is hosting a blood drive this Friday, March 8. For the month of March donors who give blood receive a $10 gift card to their choice of pet supply stores or a variety of other merchants. Sign up at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results.
During the mayor’s comments portion of the meeting, Rossi lauded landlord Dave Tudman and Callee1945 owners Abbey Woodcock and K.C. Baney for their contributions to Oneida’s business district. Tudman is the building’s landlord and Woodcock and Baney own the cheese and wine specialty shop. Rossi said Tudman’s exterior upgrades and the cheese shop owners’ interior work.
“They have all done a great job at their own cost to make Oneida better,” Rossi said. “The building looks phenomenal.”
Rossi said Oneida Barbershop, which he co-owns with his father Angel Vargas Jr., has been certified as a USA barber School and will open on July 1. The shop, 115 E. Railroad St., will host an open house on Saturday, March 16 at 2 p.m.
“It took longer to get certified than we thought, but we are ready,” Vargas said after the meeting.
The council has agreed to form a committee and discuss and revise city laws regarding hen ownership in Oneida’s inside district.
“This is really a chance to tweak existing laws,” Sixth Ward Councilman Thomas Simchik said.
The council will form a seven-member committee to ensure a tie-breaker and help resolve any issues.
“We don’t want to drag this out,” Second Ward Councilman Steve Laureti said. “And we want to speak for those who want hens and those who don’t.”
The council voted to authorize city engineer Jeff Rowe to proceed with reha
bilitation of the Glenmore Dam. Rowe is able to sign documents relevant to the dam’s rehabilitation and construction.
According to constructionjournal.com the goal of the repairs is to restore the hydraulic capacity of Glenmore Reservoir and to conduct critical repairs to existing deteriorated dam components. The project is estimated at $11,850,000. The city has an $8 million loan prepared for when work starts on the project.
The council passed a resolution at its Aug. 1 meeting that addressed what could be an expensive and catastrophic situation regarding Glenmore Dam and the city’s water supply. On that day the council approved bonds totaling $5,940,000 for repairs to the dam.
The reservoir serves Oneida along with Sherill, Vernon, Verona, Munnsville, and the Town of Stockbridge for a total of approximately 22,000 customers. Glenmore Reservoir in the town of Annsville, Oneida County, flows through Glenmore Dam and into Florence Creek south into Fish Creek, and then the Oneida watershed.
“Glenmore Dam holds the city’s water supply,”
Rowe said in August. “It’s over 100 years old and is in need of some repairs and renovations. It’s been ongoing for quite some time. Since then the project costs have escalated due to inflation. The cost is to do the same project but at a higher cost. The permits are in place. It’s ready to go.”