State Financial Restructuring Board issues recommendations for Ogdensburg

pOGDENSBURG — The Financial Restructuring Board for Local Governments has completed its City of Ogdensburg Comprehensive Review./ppThe report includes several recommendations for the city to consider: /pp• Transfer fire and police dispatching to the county./pp• Develop and implement a shared services plan with neighboring governments./pp• Work on transferring its motor vehicle fleet to a leasing plan./pp• Seek labor and healthcare efficiencies, particularly in the city’s fire department/pp• Transfer ownership of foreclosed properties to the Ogdensburg Land Bank Corporation. /ppThe board offers grants for the city to consider and implement its recommendations. /ppCity Manager Sarah Purdy, in her weekly update, reported that she would be discussing the recommendations at the City Council’s meeting on July 8./ppIn the weekly update, Ms. Purdy addressed several of the recommendations. /ppIn regard to the 911 recommendation, Ms. Purdy said the city would need to consider that the dispatchers were also responsible for monitoring the city lock up. /ppShe said that the shared services portion of the recommendations offered an opportunity to get grant assistance for studying the possibility of changing the city’s form of government. /ppThe city has looked at lease procurement and management for its motor vehicle fleet but has been unable to take action because of a high start-up cost. A grant from the Financial Restructuring Board could help the city get over the cost barrier, Ms. Purdy wrote. /ppAll of the city’s five bargaining units are on the last few months of their latest contracts and negotiations will begin soon. Health insurance and labor costs will be a part of the collective bargaining process, Ms. Purdy said. /ppThe city, Ms. Purdy reported, has already transferred property to the Land Bank Corporation and would be making a request to the Financial Restructuring Board for a grant award. /p