BY JIMMY LAWTON

North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — Ogdensburg Mayor Jeffrey Skelly wants to make massive changes to its police and fire departments.

Two resolutions set to go before council tonight would lay the groundwork for establishing a hybrid volunteer and paid firefighter model for the fire department and establish a plan that would have the county assume police services within the city.

Details on exactly what the plans would entail aren’t expected until October and August respectively.

The proposals were included in a press release issued by the city.

“Since making the decision to run for Mayor of Ogdensburg, I remain committed to restoring the City’s financial strength, public safety and economic development to its fullest potential. Ogdensburg cannot expect to return to the past as a plan for its future, and it cannot continue to manage its resources one department at a time, for one year at a time. Under my leadership, this City Council will move beyond the past, embrace the present and plan for the future – in other words, it will do the job the people elected us to do,” a prepared statement from Skelly said.

Fire Department

The fire department resolution would direct City Manager Stephen Jellie to present a formal plan “to begin transitioning the Ogdensburg Fire Department to a combination career/volunteer organization beginning in 2023.”

The city and fire union have been at odds for years since Skelly and his running mates took office.

The department has seen deep cuts, which were largely made with early retirement incentives funded with help from the New York State Financial Restructuring Board.

The city has continued to argue that it simply can’t afford to provide the number of firefighters agreed to in the contract signed just prior to the new administration taking office.

The heated battle between the two entities has shaped headlines and included a lengthy court battle which is still underway.

Arbitration is looming based on the most recent court order, though the city is hoping to win an appeal on that matter.

At issue in the case is minimum staffing levels laid out in the contract. The contract requires five-person minimum staffing on each shift, but the city argues that the clause is not binding because it infringes on the city’s management rights.

Jellie has argued that the language of the contract is about job security not safety.

Meanwhile, Ogdensburg firefighters union president Jason Bouchard maintains that the minimum staffing is in the contract for the safety of firefighters and the citizens of Ogdensburg.

The idea for moving to a hybrid firefighter model isn’t new. In the past Skelly has pointed out that Massena uses a similar model successfully.

Potsdam also uses paid drivers in its department.

The model would likely save the city significant money, but finding volunteers could present a problem.

Emergency medical service providers around the county have been warning that volunteers are in short supply. They’ve issued pleas to the community in hopes of bolstering their numbers.

St. Lawrence County emergency services coordinators recently reported that response times are being impacted by the shortage and in some cases ambulance services are taking well over an hour to arrive.

Police Plan

Details about the new policing model also remain unclear, however the goal seems to be moving responsibility to the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department.

The resolution would direct the City Manager “to develop a formal plan to request the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office submit a proposal to assume law enforcement services in the City of Ogdensburg by August 1, 2022.”

It’s unclear if this would eliminate the Ogdensburg Police Department completely or establish some sort of hybrid model.

The police department has seen significant cuts in recent years, but has also had trouble filling vacant positions, according to the city manager.

Skelly has continued to argue the city simply can’t afford to pay for the current level of service provided by the city.

The matter is likely to be discussed tonight at the city council meeting at 6 p.m.