Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh’s mayor is re-imposing limits for all city government buildings and departments originally issued in March and April to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

A controversial early deadline to vote on the city of Plattsburgh’s 2021 budget has been changed. But only a few weeks remain for councilors to review the fiscal plan.

The Clinton County Board of Elections counted absentee ballots Monday, determining Democrat Chris Rosenquest will become the next mayor of Plattsburgh. Rosenquest expressed relief and discussed his plans shortly after the count was completed.

Plattsburgh Mayor Colin Read released his nearly $58 million 2021 budget proposal in June. In mid-September the common council sent it back, requesting he propose reductions at least 10 percent by October 8th.
The mayor released his revision on October 5th and the council‘s budget officer set a November 19th deadline for final passage.  During Thursday evening’s meeting, tempers flared over the deadline and a councilor’s request to meet with the city chamberlain.

Plattsburgh’s outgoing mayor discussed several topics Monday affecting the city including a pilot program for early detection of coronavirus and how downtown parking has been shifted to compensate for a planned development.

Plattsburgh’s mayor presented his 2021 budget to the common council in June. The panel then requested another 10 percent in reductions.  An emotional public hearing was held Thursday afternoon on the revised 2021 fiscal plan that was roundly criticized by the public for its cuts to public safety.

Emotions flared during a public hearing Thursday on a revised budget that Plattsburgh’s mayor is presenting to the city council.

Former city police lieutenant Scott Beebie is the Republican running for mayor of Plattsburgh.  He retired in 2017 from the city police force after 28 years of service.  He has served as vice-chair of the Plattsburgh city Republican committee but has not held elective office. Beebie says after nearly three decades on the city police force, he has the tools to lead Plattsburgh. Beebie tells WAMC North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley that he’s hearing common concerns from voters in the city.

Democrat Chris Rosenquest ran for mayor of Plattsburgh as an Independent in 2013 before losing to Republican James Calnon.  Since then he has served two terms as a Clinton County Legislator representing Area 9, the northeast part of the city. This year he won a three-way Democratic primary against a local businessman and Mayor Colin Read.  Rosenquest has released a nine-point “Plan for Plattsburgh” outlining his goals for the city and how he will achieve them. He explains to WAMC North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley why he initially referred to it as his Potluck Plan for the city.

The Plattsburgh Common Council recently approved a measure authorizing the mayor to formally petition the adjacent town annex over 200 acres of land.  The plan has been pending for two years.

In a three-way Democratic primary, Plattsburgh’s incumbent mayor is trailing one of his challengers before absentee ballots are tabulated.

Plattsburgh Mayor Colin Read is discussing his proposed 2021 budget, which is being criticized for being released early and close to the Democratic mayoral primary.

Three individuals are running in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for mayor of Plattsburgh including the incumbent. They recently debated in a sparsely populated auditorium due to coronavirus restrictions.

At a time when policing is the subject of national debate, the mayor of Plattsburgh has outlined a recent upgrade of the city’s policing policies.

The Durkee Street parking lot is a two-and-a-half acre site in downtown Plattsburgh that is the focus of the $10 million Downtown Redevelopment Initiative project and funding the city was awarded in 2016. Project developers are now seeking zoning and planning approvals. Opponents urged the zoning board to reject the plan during Monday’s review.

The budget officer for the Plattsburgh City Council says furloughs and layoffs planned when the coronavirus pandemic began to impact city finances are going into effect.

The largest summer festival in New York’s North Country has been scaled back and many of its events canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Citing budget shortfalls from the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Plattsburgh has already furloughed or laid off about two dozen employees.  The mayor says city officials will make budget concerns a focus of their weekly meetings.

The mayor of the largest city in northern New York discussed the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Plattsburgh region Thursday and praised Governor Andrew Cuomo’s most recent actions to curb its spread.

Plattsburgh’s mayor gave an update on the city’s preparedness for the coronavirus on Thursday. The city council later heard reports from police and fire chiefs on pandemic readiness.

Plattsburgh Mayor Colin Read is now holding weekly press conferences and on Thursday planned to update city residents on downtown redevelopment progress.  But the conversation was overshadowed by concerns about the coronavirus.  There have been no positive tests for the virus in Clinton or Essex counties as of Friday. Read issued a joint executive order with Saranac Lake’s mayor detailing their response plans to the pandemic.  Mayor Read, a Democrat, tells WAMC North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley the goal is to implement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for social distancing.

Northern New York and Vermont officials provided updates Thursday on coronavirus response preparedness.

Plans to rebuild a portion of a residential street have raised the ire of some Plattsburgh residents.  But city councilors believe they have reached a compromise that meets federal requirements and satisfies the concerns of homeowners.

Downtown Plattsburgh is being redeveloped through the state’s $10 million Downtown Redevelopment Initiative grant. The common council heard a presentation at a recent work session from consultants who are assessing how to brand the area of the city.

The chair of the Clinton County Legislature, Town of Plattsburgh Supervisor and Mayor of the city of Plattsburgh all delivered speeches about the state of their municipalities at a chamber-sponsored breakfast Thursday morning.

The Plattsburgh Common Council held its first meeting of 2020 on Thursday evening. There are two new councilors on the six-member panel and they immediately began work on the city’s agenda.

The mayor of Plattsburgh has demonstrated a new system the city is rolling out that will allow the public greater access to review its finances.

A public hearing was held Monday evening on the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement that assesses the impacts of proposed redevelopment in Plattsburgh’s downtown area as a result of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.