Ogdensburg scraps 'double rates' for water, sewer at home businesses

Nov. 13—OGDENSBURG — The City Council has changed what home businesses would pay for water and sewer rates so "double rates" will no longer apply.

Prior to Tuesday's meeting, the City Code was such that if you run a business out of your home, you are required to pay a separate flat rate for both water and sewer for each unit which has been called "double rates."

The resolution changed the language in Section 215-38 of the City Code to read that the definition of a "Commercial/Residential Mixed Structure" applies "where the commercial or office space is regularly used for business purposes by patients, clients, or customers, or where goods are assembled, produced, or manufactured for resale."

Those type of home businesses will now pay in the middle between residential and commercial rates, a suggestion made by Councilor Daniel E. Skamperle that was agreed upon by the majority of council.

"I think we propose to amend that to be the midway point between the residential flat rate and the metered (commercial) flat rate," the councilor stated.

Mayor Michael Tooley and Councilors R. Storm Cilley and Michael Powers voted against the amendment but was approved with a 4-3 vote.

In other City Council action:

—A public hearing was called for to lease the basement of City Hall to Congresswoman Elise Stefanik as a satellite office from Jan. 3, 2025 to Jan. 2, 2027, with an option to renew. This despite her recent appointment as the ambassador to the United Nations by President-elect Donald Trump on Monday.

Monthly rent would be $1,000.

The public hearing would take place on Monday, Nov. 25 at 6 p.m.

—The following city residents were appointed as Charter Review Commission members: Michael Brashaw, Wendy Hamilton, Connie Jenkins, James LaFave, Doug Loffler, James McCarthy, James Morrison, Cindy O'Grady, Angela Rufa, Kyle Sharp, Dallas Sutton and John Wilson.

—A resolution was approved in support of continued and increased state aid for local governments. The resolution states that until 2024, "cities, villages and towns had not received an increase in unrestricted state aid (AIM funding) in 15 years, significantly impacting their ability to provide essential services to their residents."

"Local officials express their gratitude for the $50 million increase in unrestricted state aid, recognizing it as a positive step towards addressing long-standing funding challenges," the resolution states adding that "the City of Ogdensburg calls upon the Governor and the State Legislature to commit to continuing the additional $50 million in unrestricted state aid in the 2025-26 State Budget and beyond."

Copies would be sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senator Mark Walczyk, Assemblyman Scott Gray and the New York State Conference of Mayors.