City considers tax cap override

ONEIDA — For a second time, the Oneida Common Council will consider overriding the state legislature’s 2 percent property tax cap.

Municipalities have the capability of exceeding the property tax cap enacted by the state legislature by a majority vote of its governing body. The council took action last year to do that, eventually passing a budget with a 3 percent property tax levy increase, which amounted to a 3.7 percent increase in property taxes.

To do that again this year, or at least consider it, the council will need to hold a public hearing to allow residents to weigh in before voting on it. The public hearing is scheduled for its July 3 meeting.

A resolution will be considered by the council at its meeting today, proposed by Ward 2 Councilman David Cimpi. With shrinking aid from the state and an unwillingness from state elected officials to raise the city’s sales tax rate to increase revenues, Cimpi said an increase in the tax levy may be necessary.

While he says he doesn’t want to surpass the cap and doesn’t plan on doing so, going through this process will leave that option open in case it’s needed.

The council will also consider authorizing the fire chief to apply for a 2012 Assistance to Firefighter grant to purchase a thermal imaging camera, cardiac monitors and preemptive traffic control devices. Chief Gregg Myers said, if award,

the grant money will be used to upgrade outdated tools and purchase needed equipment.

The department’s decade- old thermal imaging camera would be replaced. Myers said the camera is too outdated to even repair anymore. The cardiac monitors, ranging in age between six and eight years, would also be upgraded for more advanced versions.

Preemptive traffic control devices are tools the department has unsuccessfully attempted to receive grant funding for in the past. A device would be installed on each apparatus and at the city’s major intersections. Depending on the type of device and setup, fire crews could control traffic signals to safely clear their path as they approach an intersection or when they leave the station.

As part of the Route 5 reconstruction grant, the Department of Transportation is installing a device at the Route 5 and 46 intersection. Myers said he’s still negotiating with vendors to purchase the corresponding parts for the department’s fire trucks.

The setup costs about $ 10,000 per intersection, he said. The thermal imaging camera costs about $ 10,000 and each cardiac monitor is about $ 27,000. Myers said the equipment is a “high priority.” Without grant funding or adequate money allocated in the budget for equipment, the department would have to submit capital project requests for the items.

Revising the electrical standards ordinance, the council will vote on an amended version that removes the names of specific companies available to conduct electrical inspections of structures within the city. In order to update the list of electrical inspectors in the ordinance, a local law and public hearing are required. Instead of doing that each time, the council opted to remove the list and establish designated inspectors that may be requested to assist the city’s building code enforcement officers and fire department building inspectors by separate resolution.

That resolution includes Independent Consolidated Electrical Inspection Service of Utica, The Inspector of Brewerton, Middle Department Inspection Agency of Rome, Commonwealth Electrical Inspection Service of Rome, Atlantic Inland of Cortland and Central New York Electrical Inspection Services of Bridgeport.

A handful of budget transfers will juggle money in and out of contingency. $ 4,993 will be transferred from contingency to three law accounts. $ 30,000 will be returned from a handful of accounts that fund snow and ice removal. Comptroller Joan Cukierski said actual costs for snow and ice removal from the last few years were compared and based on the most expensive seasons, excess money was reallocated to contingency. Another $ 1,000 was transferred from the salt and sand account to the building demo account to secure recently acquired city properties.

The council will also decide whether or not to approve overtime for recreational seasonal summer maintenance workers. Rec Director Luke Griff said the department’s four maintenance staff may accrue overtime hours this summer getting ball fields ready for games or cover park rentals or special events on weekends, outside of regular business hours. He anticipated overtime work only being necessary two or three times the rest of the summer. Money has already been budgeted to cover the expense, he said.

In other business, the council will consider:

• Authorizing the water superintendent to prepare and submit a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund pre- application for the Fish Creek Crossing project.

• Authorizing the sale of three pieces of surplus exhaust rail that didn’t receive interested on eBay to Robert Haldenwang of Sweatman Avenue in Oneida for $ 25.

• Selling surplus items on eBay, including: a 2000 Ford Crown Vic, a 1999 Ford Crown Vic, 1993 Chevrolet dump truck, 1987 International, tire changing machine, miscellaneous tires and an antique pressure washer.

• Authorizing the city engineer to proceed with a capital project to replace guard rail posts.

• An agreement with Air Time Inflatables of Sherrill for the water summer fest at Chapman Pool for $ 2,000 ($ 500 less than the original proposal from Scotty’s Jump ‘ N Fun Party Rentals of Rome).

• Merging two city- owned properties on Lexington Avenue.

• Placing “stop ahead” and “stop” signs at the intersection of Vedder Road and Forest Avenue.

The council is scheduled to meet at 6 p. m. at City Hall.