Finding solutions to unkempt property is an issue that plagues most municipalities. The accumulation of junk can reduce property values, be an eyesore and an attractive nuisance to children as well as posing a health risk. A municipality may choose to adopt regulations that address junk storage, household debris and other clutter. A municipality that chooses not to adopt local regulations may enforce the provisions contained in the state motor vehicle junkyard law as well as the property maintenance section of the NYS Uniform Fire and Prevention Code.

The Local Government Education Committee of Oneida & Herkimer Counties has scheduled a training session to address these issues and possible solutions. The session will be held on Thursday, March 11, 2001 6:30- 8:30 in the Café at Kunsela Hall, SUNYIT in Utica. The training will feature a panel discussion with:

• Ray A Meier, of Counsel to the law firm Bond, Schowneck and King, PLLC.   Mr. Meier serves as the municipal attorney for several municipalities in the area and has extensive private and public sector experience

• Joseph A. Booth who has served at the Director of Codes and Zoning for the Town of New Hartford since 1989. He has provided training on various codes and zoning issues.

• Thomas Romanowski from the NYS Department of State, Division of Code Enforcement and Administration. The regional office located in Utica is responsible for a service area that covers eight counties.

Pre-registration is required. There is a $15.00 charge for the workshop and checks should be made payable to the College Association There is still time to reserve a seat for this workshop by calling 315-866-4671 or by email to gregmved@twcny.rr.com  or jeanne.brown@sunyit.edu . The workshop fee can be paid at the door. Visit the Local Government Education Committee website at http://www.lgec.org/  for more information.

The Tug Hill Commission's 21st Annual Local Government Conference registration brochure was mailed out to local officials in late December. The conference will be held at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, New York, on Thursday, April 1st. Registrations postmarked by March 10 will be $50; by March 17 - $75, and $100 at the door. Workshops on a variety of topics are geared toward town and village board members, clerks, planning boards, zoning boards, highway departments, and assessors. The keynote speaker this year is Robert Freeman, Executive Director, NYS Department of State, Committee on Open Government. Please join your fellow local officials in what promises to be a day of educational and instructive information.

There are still a couple of online training opportunities available for Planning Board and ZBA members who have not completed their yearly training require-ments of four hours.

The NYS Department of State Land Use Training Unit is offering its two most basic courses: Planning Board Overview and Zoning Board of Appeals Overview on its website:

http://www.dos.state.ny.us/lgss/OnlineTrainingHelp.htm.

NYS Dept. of State Local Government Services must register each student and assign a UserID and Password (even if only to "preview" the program). To register, you must send an email to:

LocalGovOnlineRegistration@dos.state.ny.us with the following information:

Each course is divided into subject "modules" (similar to traditional chapters). At the end of each module the student is expected to complete a short quiz in order to move on to the next module.

The number of modules and pages varies for each course. At the end of the course the student is required to take a final exam and answer a minimum of 75% of the questions correctly in order to move on to display a "certificate of completion." Each course is designed to take approximately two hours to complete. Throughout the course there are web links to reference materials, such as NYS Statute, and DOS land use publications and legal memoranda. The linked materials are designed to supplement what is discussed in the course. Students are encouraged to view these materials to get a better understanding of the subject matter.

If you want to contact the Training Unit for general online training questions unrelated to registration, please send an email to:

LocalGovOnlineTraining@dos.state.ny.us.

For technical questions related to online course user problems or questions related to online course subject matter, please send an email to:

LocalGovOnlineHelp@dos.state.ny.us

Also you may call (800) 367-8488 and ask to speak to a staff member of the Land Use Training Unit.

It is up to each municipality to decide if this is an acceptable form of training and it is suggested that students present to their municipalities a printed copy of their passing test results and certificate of completion upon completion of each course.

If your municipality is a member of either NYMIR or the New York Planning Federation, you are eligible to use the Land Use Training & Certification School. The New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal Land Use Training Program for Local Government Officials is an online training program designed to teach the basics of New York land use law. The program is made available to governmental officials, planning and zoning board members ,municipal risk managers and others for noncommercial purposes. The program has nine tutorials and a glossary with links to definitions and various New York State statutes. The program is produced by the Pace University Land Use Law Center and the New York Planning Federation. It is made available through the New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal, which is owned by the 530 New York Municipalities it insures. You can download the program FREE! from NYMIR http://nymir.org/zoning_reg.shtml or the zip file (1.6 meg) from NYPF:

http://www.nypf.org/NYMIR_land_use_training.zip.

The Northern Oneida County Council of Governments will hold its annual fall meeting and dinner at the Franklin Hotel, South James Street, Rome on Thursday, October 22^nd. The social hour starts at 6:00 p.m. and dinner is at 7:00 p.m. A business meeting will follow with the 2010 election of officers for the NOCCOG executive board and adoption of the 2010 budget. The meeting is an opportunity to reflect on the past year's accomplishments for NOCCOG and its member communities.

The cost of the dinner is $19.00 and checks should be made payable to NOCCOG. Reservations may be made by contacting municipal management consultant Gerry Ritter on or before October 16th at 315-392-2260 or by e-mail at GJRitter01@aol

The recently approved $787 billion federal stimulus package was developed in part to enable infrastructure projects that promote economic growth.   An estimated $26 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will go to projects and programs within New York State.   Much of that funding will be directed to long delayed infrastructure projects that include money dedicated to the following: the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Highway Funding and Mass Transit Funding. State officials and congressional representatives are presently working to identify local  "shovel- ready" projects in the area that will spur the economy.  It is believed that once announced those projects could begin in less than a month. In the meantime, if your community has a specific project you feel is eligible for NYS Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Stimulus Funding you may want to check out the following links:

 New York State Funding Breakdown    http://www.economicrecovery.ny.gov/DirectAid/aidnewyork.htm                                                                  Link to Submit Proposals http://www.economicrecovery.ny.gov/system/proposal.cfm

Please note that completing the on-line "Submit Proposals" form is not an official application for funding.  It is an avenue for interested applicants to provide The New York State Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Cabinet with introductory information regarding their projects 

The 25th Annual Meeting of NOCCOG was held on Thursday, October 23, 2008, at the Franklin Hotel in Rome, NY, with approximately 95 people in attendance.  Following the social hour, dinner was served, preceded by welcoming remarks from NOCCOG Chairman, Robert Sauer.    Municipal Management Consultant / Circuit Rider, Geraldine Ritter, recognized Tug Hill Commission Executive Director John Bartow, Tug Hill Commission Director of Economic Development, David Zembiec, Tug Hill Commission Chairman Ken Vigus, (Boonville). Also recognized were Assemblyman David Townsend, Oneida County Comptroller Joseph Timpano, Oneida County Legislators, Leslie Porter, Norman Leach, Michael Clancy  and Michael Hennessy. Senator Joseph Griffo was not able to attend due to another commitment but extended wishes for another successful year to NOCCOG communities.

At 7: 50 pm, chairman Sauer called the annual business meeting to order.  Sauer gave the chairman's report that included various projects in which NOCCOG is currently involved as well as recent accomplishments.  This includes but not limited to numerous training opportunities for  appointed and elected officials, several New York State Archives Grants, Local Government Efficiency Grant projects, strategic planning grants, and the development or revision of comprehensive and land use plans for NOCCOG communities.  Sauer also thanked the NOCCOG municipalities for their support and thanked the circuit riders for their hard work and efforts.  

Minutes:  Municipal Management Consultant Ritter asked for the review and acceptance of the minutes of the 2007 Annual Meeting.  Motion made by John Buczek, Supervisor of the Town of Floyd, to accept the minutes.  Seconded by William Hinge, Village Administrator for the Village of Barneveld.

All in favor.  Motion carried.

Financial Report:  NOCCOG Fiscal Officer Mark Scheidelman gave the financial report and noted that expenses for 2008 were staying within budget projections with the exception of mileage/travel expenses.  All revenues for 2008 have been received with all 19 member municipalities having paid their dues for the 17^th consecutive year.   Scheidelman referenced the proposed 2008 budget, approved by the NOCCOG Executive Committee.  Changes noted on the revenue side: interest and earnings are estimated to be $200 for 2009,  the anticipated fund balance has increased $200 to $6,380, and Tug Hill's contribution for the full time circuit rider's salary and benefits in accordance with the state bargaining agreement.  Changes to expense lines: an increase of $500 to a total of $5,000 for the full time circuit rider's travel expenses, associate circuit rider 1's travel expense was increased $500 to $2,000. Circuit rider 2's travel expense was decreased $500 to $1,000, and publications and subscriptions was decreased $100 to $250. It was also noted there was an increase in the salary and benefits for full time municipal management consultant Ritter, which are paid in full by the Tug Hill Commission.    Dues for member municipalities will remain the same at $550 per year for 2009.  Oneida County support for 2009 was requested in the amount of $7,500 the same as requested for 2008.  The Oneida County budget has not been finalized at this time.

Scheidelman also provided a fiscal report on the NYS Archives grant projects managed by NOCCOG in 2008.

A motion was made by Jim Ossont, Supervisor of the Town of Ava to accept the 2008 financial report and the 2009 NOCCOG proposed budget as presented.   Seconded by John Buczek, Supervisor of the Town of Floyd. 

All in favor.  Motion carried

Election of Officers:  Nominating Committee member, John Buczek, Supervisor, Town of Floyd, presented the slate of officers for 2006: 

Robert Sauer of Camden - Chairman; 

Arnold Talgo of Steuben - Vice Chairman; 

Mark Scheidelman of Trenton - Fiscal Officer. 

Buczek asked for further nominations from the floor. There being none, the nominating process was closed.  Cliff Hill, Supervisor, Town of Remsen and Nominating Committee member, requested that a single ballot be cast for the slate.   Motion was made by John Buzeck, to cast a single ballot for the slate and accept the nominations.  Seconded by Cliff Hill.

 All in favor.  Motion carried.

The new terms will commence January 1, 2009.

Program: John Bartow, Executive Director of the Tug Hill Commission, did a presentation on the results of the Tug Hill Commission's Local Leader's Survey completed earlier this year. The purpose for the survey of local officials and other community leaders is to evaluate the Commission's programs and help determine the future the Commission and its councils of governments with which it works. The survey has a 43% response rate. It was noted that for the first time in the history of Tug Hill surveys, helping communities protect the environment ranked the highest (96.3%).  Bartow also reported on several regional projects and community forums by the Tug Hill Commission and councils of governments planned for 2009.

The remaining program for the evening was a slide show by circuit rider Gerry Ritter highlighting NOCCOG's beginning in 1981, growth over the years, current projects, and goals for the future. Also recognized were those individuals who have served NOCCOG communities as circuit riders over the years.

There being no further business, the meeting concluded and was adjourned at 8:55pm.

 A business meeting was held with reports from executive board chairman, Bob Sauer and fiscal officer Mark Scheidelman.  Members adopted the 2009 NOCCOG budget and elected the executive committee for the coming year.  Re-elected to office for 2009 are Bob Sauer as Chairman, Arnie Talgo as Vice Chair, and Mark Scheidelman as fiscal officer. Tug Hill Commission  Executive Director John Bartow reported on several regional projects, the  results from the local leaders survey earlier this year and community forums planned for 2009.After the business meeting, circuit rider Gerry Ritter presented a slide show highlighting NOCCOG's beginning in 1981, growth over the years, current projects, and goals for the future. Also recognized were those individuals who have served NOCCOG communities as circuit riders over the years.

The NYS Archives Office has announced the schedule for information sessions for the Local Government Records Management Improvement 2009-10 cycle. The purpose of Local Government Records Management Improvement

Fund (LGRMIF) grants is to help local governments establish records management programs or develop new program components.

The purpose of this information session is to review the LGRMIF application guidelines and instructions and to learn how to write a strong grant proposal. Examples of successful applications are examined and analyzed. It is very important to gain as much insight as possible into the LGRMIF grant application process if you are considering a project for the upcoming grant cycle that has a February 2, 2009 deadline. State Archives anticipates that the upcoming grant cycle will be very competitive.

Grant Application Information Sessions will be held at the following locations:

1. Thursday, November 6, 2008, Jefferson County Public Health Facility, 531 Meade Street, Main Conference Room, Watertown, New York
2. Wednesday, November 12, 2008, St Lawrence County Human Service Center Complex , 80 State Highway 310, Canton, New York
3. Thursday, November 20, 2008, Village of East Syracuse, 204 N Center Street, East Syracuse, New York

4. Wednesday, December 3, 2008, Rome Historical Society, 200 Church Street, Rome, New

These sessions generally run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register by calling the Utica office at 793-2780 or register on online at:

The grant application booklet is available at: http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/grants/grants_lgrmif_appl.shtml. A copy of the booklet will be available at the sessions.

Several communities in the NOCCOG received notice recently that their Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF) grant applications were successful. Tug Hill Commission staff provided assistance in the preparation and submission of five Records Management Grant applications which were recently awarded funds through the New York State Archives office.

The town of Floyd was awarded $8,330 to index and access their active justice court records. The town will create a database that will improve access to over 17,000 justice court case records.

 Northern Oneida County Council of Governments (NOCCOG) was awarded $24,599 on behalf of the villages of Boonville and Sylvan Beach and the towns of Vienna and Western. NOCCOG will use the funds to microfilm and digitize 55 years of payroll records for the four municipalities.

The Records Management Grant applications were submitted on February 1, 2008.

The Central New York Community Arts Council is pleased to announce that it will once again be awarding funds through the Art Creating Community Decentralization Regrant Program in Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties. ACC DEC Grant is a competitive arts grant program that provides financial and technical assistance for community-based arts activities offered by eligible nonprofit organizations and individual artists sponsored by nonprofit organizations in Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties. This program is intended to expand, promote, and increase arts and cultural programming at the local level.  The grants are awarded for specific projects occurring between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.

Applicants must either attend a DEC Application Seminar or meet with SCA DEC staff to discuss the ACC DEC program and your proposed application. Application Seminars are held at locations across Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties. These seminars provide an understanding of the Art Creating Community DEC Grant Guidelines and the mechanics of the application form. Attendance at a seminar is mandatory for ALL applicants. No exceptions will be made! Dates, locations, and times for the seminars:

            1. Oneida - Kallet Civic Center on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 @ 2pm.

            2. Rome - Rome Art & Community Center on Thursday, August 28, 2008 @  2pm.

            3. Boonville - Dodge- Pratt Northam Art & Community Center on   Wednesday, September 3, 2008 @ 2pm.

            4. Old Forge - Arts Center/Old Forge on Friday, September 12, 2008 @ 2pm.

            5. Utica - Stanley Center for the Arts on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 @  3pm.

Reservations are required. Space at some locations is limited

Please call (315) 624- 2912, or email mkoenig@cnyarts.com to reserve a space at a seminar listed below or to schedule a meeting to discuss your project.

Grants Applications must be received by 4 p.m. Thursday, October 9, 2008.  Additional information is available by visiting the Central New York Council of the Arts web site at http://www.cnyarts.com/opportunities/

·        the use of reserve funds and fund balance as a financing source at budget time

·         financing infrastructure and improvements

·         the need to examine user charge rates such as sewer, water, and refuse

·         equity issues relating to who should bear the burden of financing particular projects and services

·         how long-range capital and operational plans play a part in the annual budget process.

There is a $15 dollar registration fee and registrations are due by August 15. A registration form can be accessed by going to http://lgec.org/content or by contacting Suzann Kimak at the Office of Continuing Professional Education, SUNYIT, PO Box 3050, Utica, NY 13504, phone 792-7270 .

There is a $15.00 charge for

Local officials often find the steps in the SEQRA process challenging and have requested training to help them with this process.   Northern Oneida County Council of Governments is sponsoring SEQRA training for local officials on Thursday, March 13, 7:00pm -9:00pm at the Trenton Municipal Center, 8520 Old Poland Road, Barneveld.   Topics to be covered include:

• SEQR Act short form and long form.
• When should a municipality act as the lead agent in the SEQR process
• What are the responsibilities and steps to follow as the lead agent
• What other agencies need to  be contacted as part of the process
• The role of SEQR in site plan review, special use permits, variances, ZBA actions, subdivision review, conditional use permits, comprehensive plans and local laws.

The presenter will be Betty Ann Hughes, Chief/SEQR & Training from the NYS Department of State. This course is eligible for 2 hours of the required annual training for Planning Board and ZBA members

 Please register for this training by calling Gerry Ritter, circuit rider, Northern Oneida County Council of Governments at 315-392-2260 by March 7, 2008

The 24th Annual Meeting of NOCCOG was held on Thursday, October 25, 2007, at the Franklin Hotel in Rome, NY, with approximately 100 people in attendance.  Following the social hour, dinner was served, preceded by welcoming remarks from NOCCOG Vice-Chairman, Arnie Talgo, in absence of Chairman Robert Sauer who was not able to attend the meeting.    Municipal Management Consultant / Circuit Rider, Geraldine Ritter, recognized Tug Hill Commission Director of Economic Development, David Zembiec, Oneida County Legislator, 6^th District Les Porter, Oneida County Legislator, 5h District, Michael Waterman. Also recognized were Tug Hill Commissioners Ken Vigus, Chairman (Boonville) and Anne Schuler, Vice- Chairman (Annsville).  Assemblyman David Townsend and Senator Joseph Griffo were present for the social hour but left prior to the dinner for another commitment. They extended their wishes for another successful year to NOCCOG communities.

At 7:45pm, vice chairman Talgo called the annual business meeting to order.  Talgo gave the chairman's report that included various projects in which NOCCOG is currently involved as well as recent accomplishments.  This includes but not limited to several New York State Archives Grants, training currently offered for local officials, and the development or revision of comprehensive and land use plans for NOCCOG communities. The second associate circuit rider position was filled in January 2007 with the addition of Susan Martin to the staff.  She is serving the central part of the NOCCOG area while associate circuit rider Harlan Moonen continues to cover the western part of the NOCCOG region and municipal management consultant Gerry Ritter covers the more northern region.  Talgo also thanked the NOCCOG municipalities for their support and thanked the circuit riders for their hard work and efforts.  

Minutes:    Municipal Management Consultant Ritter asked for the review and acceptance of the minutes of the 2006 Annual Meeting.  Motion made by John Buczek, Supervisor of the Town of Floyd, to accept the minutes.  Seconded by Mike Piper, Supervisor of the Town of Vienna

All in favor.  Motion carried.

Financial Report:  NOCCOG Fiscal Officer Mark Scheidelman gave the financial report and noted that expenses for 2007 were staying within budget projections.  All revenues for 2007 had been received with all 19 member municipalities having paid their dues for the 16^th consecutive year.   Scheidelman referenced the proposed 2007 budget, approved by the NOCCOG Executive Committee.  All expense lines will remain the same for 2008, with the exception of the salary and benefits for full time municipal management consultant Ritter, which are paid in full by the Tug Hill Commission.  Scheidelman also noted that NOCCOG has received from the Tug Hill Commission a one time grant in the amount of $1,000 this year to spent for office equipment.  This has helped tremendously due to the tight budgets the last few years. He also noted the anticipated fund balance would offset expenses of 2008.  Dues for member municipalities will remain the same at $550 per year for 2008 and Oneida County support will remain the same at $7,500 as requested for 2008.  Ed Wardner, Treasurer for the Village of Holland Patent, asked why the financial report and proposed budget did not list any interest that may be earned.  Scheidelman said that amount earned is minimal and interest earned is credited accordingly at the end of the fiscal year.

A motion was made by Steve Carpenter, Councilman, Town of Vienna to accept the 2007 financial report and the 2008 NOCCOG proposed budget as presented.   Seconded by William Smith, Councilman, Town of Floyd.  

All in favor.  Motion carried

Election of Officers:  Nominating Committee member, John Buczek, Supervisor, Town of Floyd, presented the slate of officers for 2006: 

Robert Sauer of Camden - Chairman; 

Arnold Talgo of Steuben - Vice Chairman; 

Mark Scheidelman of Trenton - Fiscal Officer. 

Buczek asked for further nominations from the floor. There being none, the nominating process was closed.  Cliff Hill, Supervisor, Town of Remsen and Nominating Committee member, requested that a single ballot be cast for the slate.   Motion was made by John Buzeck, to cast a single ballot for the slate and accept the nominations.  Seconded by Cliff Hill.

 All in favor.  Motion carried.

The new terms will commence January 1, 2008.

The Northern Oneida County Council of Governments will hold its yearly fall meeting and dinner at the Franklin Hotel, South James Street, Rome on Thursday, October 25^th.  The social hour starts at 6:00 and dinner is at 7:00.   A business meeting will follow with the election of officers for the NOCCOG executive board for 2008 and adoption of the budget 2008.  The circuit riders will be presenting a slide presentation of various events, municipal projects and points of interest in NOCCOG towns and villages in 2007. The meeting is also an opportunity to reflect on the past year's accomplishments for NOCCOG and member communities.

The cost of the dinner is $17.00 and checks should be payable to the Franklin Hotel.  Reservations may be made by contacting municipal management consultant Gerry Ritter on or before October 19^th at 392-2260 or by e-mail at GJRitter 01 @ AOL.

The NOCCOG Executive Board is pleased to announce the selection of Susan Martin as the newest associate rider for the Northern Oneida Council of Governments.  Susan, a Barneveld resident, is joining fellow associate Harlan Moonen and full time circuit rider/municipal management consultant Gerry Ritter in serving NOCCOG member municipalities.

Susan will primarily be covering the towns of Floyd and Steuben and the villages of Barneveld, Holland Patent and Prospect and began  attending some of the monthly municipal board meetings in January for these communities. Over the next few weeks Gerry Ritter and Harlan Moonen will be taking Susan around to introduce her to town and village boards.

The NOCCOG Executive Board interviewed several qualified candidates for this position and it was a difficult decision.  The position became vacant when Gerry Ritter was appointed to the full time municipal management consultant position in March 2006.  We are sure NOCCOG communities will continue to welcome this newest NOCCOG circuit rider.

Close to 100 local officials attended Northern Oneida County Council of Governments yearly meeting and dinner at the Franklin Hotel, Rome on October 26^th.   Ronald C. Brach, the executive director of the New York State Legislative Commission on Rural Resources was the guest speaker for the evening and shared with those present information this commission learned from listening sessions held around the state in rural areas this past year.   Copies of the Executive Summary by the Commission on Rural Resources which contains more detailed information was unveiled at the meeting and made available to NOCCOG town and villages for review. Mr. Brach stressed that the report is not cast in stone and the commission is encouraging feed back from the report.  Mr. Brach stated that rural communities need to work on an action agenda to address their present and future needs and need to make state agencies and officials aware of this agenda.

Floyd Supervisor, John Buczek, presented a gift and a resolution on behalf of NOCCOG and the communities it represents in recognition of Kevin J. Smith, the director of infrastructure and natural resources for the Tug Hill Commission, who will be retiring in November.  Kevin has worked closely with NOCCOG and the circuit riders in the past, as well as working directly with many NOCCOG communities on numerous projects during his tenure with the Tug Hill Commission.

 A business meeting followed with NOCCOG chairman, Robert Sauer, presenting the chairman’s report regarding NOCCOG projects during the past year. Fiscal officer, Mark Scheidelman, presented his report and noted that all NOCCOG communities paid their membership support in full for 2006 and dues for 2007 will remain at $550.  The proposed budget for 2007 was presented and approved. The business meeting included approval of the minutes of the 2006 annual meeting and the election of officers for the NOCCOG executive board for 2007 which will remain the same with Robert Sauer Chairman, Arnie Talgo vice-chairman and Mark Scheidelman Fiscal Officer. 

NOCCOG COMMUNITY’S FALL FESTS

The crisp air and beautiful fall foliage has arrived.  The NOCCOG area is celebrating the arrival of autumn by hosting a variety of community celebrations and events to mark the changing of the seasons.        

• A community celebration was held in Steuben to mark the 75^th anniversary of the dedication of the Baron Von Steuben Memorial Park on Starr Hill in Steuben. Visitors enjoyed candlelight tours of the recent restoration work on the replica cabin where the Baron lived and an 18^th century desert reception featuring wine made from the Steuben heirloom grapes.
• The 27^th Remsen Barn Festival of the Arts was held September 23^rd and 24^th.   The Barn FOTA features over 300 exhibitors and crafters, farmers’ market and country cooking exhibitions.    A variety of entertainment was also featured including Irish musicians and cloggers, bluegrass bands, a ladies barbershop quartet, a comedy-variety performance and several local bands. In honor of Remsen’s Welsh heritage, a Welsh Festival of Sacred Song was held on Sunday at the historic Stone Meetinghouse.   Even with the rainy weather, the event attracted over 40,000 visitors this year
• Western held its third annual Heritage Weekend on September 23^rd and 24^th. The celebration was kicked of with the lighting of the heritage candle at the Western Town Library. Events included a colonial country brunch, a musket and artillery demonstration by “revolutionary war soldiers”, a quilt show, an 18^th century dance demonstration, and a historical picture presentation of the past and present of the Town of Western.
• Old Forestport Days were held on September 30^th and October 1.  The celebration was built around the opening and dedication of the Boonville- Forestport towpath as a permanent connector segment for the North County Scenic Trail, the longest of the national scenic trails.  The trail starts in North Dakota and will end at Lake Champlain.  Other events included a parade, softball tournament, a chicken barbeque, music, free hayrides and buggy rides.  Michael Doyle, author of “The Forestport Breaks, A Nineteenth Century Conspiracy Along the Black River Canal” wrote a theatrical narration that was performed by local residents to highlight the history of the three Forestport canal brakes.
• The Trenton Fall Scenic Trail will be open to the public for two weekends, October 7^th and 8^th and October 14th and 15^th.  At one time Trenton Fall was world famous, attracting visitors from around the world. It was closed to the public for years due to its value in generating electricity.  Brookfield Power and the Town of Trenton worked together to develop the Trenton Falls Scenic Trail to offer the public an opportunity to experience the local history while enjoying the splendors of nature.  The site also highlights three themes: the geology of the gorge, the history of Trenton Falls as a tourist destination and inspiration for artists and writers as well as the current use of the site to produce electricity.
• The Boonville Fall Arts Festival was held October 6- 8.  The weekend featured a craft show in the little village park, a chili cook off, a pie eating contest, a pet parade, a scarecrow making contest, the fall art exhibition at the Dodge-Pratt- Northam Art and Community Center and a 10K road race..  Music entertainment was offered in the little village park and a community dance was held Saturday evening at the Hulbert House.   The weekend also included the formal dedication of Project Playground at Erwin Park. The project is a $42,000 park improvement project that was funded by an Iroquois Gas LEAF Grant, NYS Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Pratt- Northam Foundation,  the Village of Boonville and local businesses.

The NOCCOG Executive Board is pleased to announce the Gerry Ritter has accepted the position as the full-time Municipal Management Consultant, effective March 23, 2006.  Based upon earlier interviews the Executive Board believes that Gerry is the best candidate and that her appointment will provide seamless transition at this time for NOCCOG communities.  The Executive Board is confident that Gerry's new role will be a great success for NOCCOG communities based upon her proven outstanding service and dedication.

The Executive Board  will be working with Gerry as well as assistant circuit rider Harlan Moonen  to ensure a smooth transfer of duties and responsibilities.  Assistance will be  provided during this transition period by the Tug Hill Commission

NOCCOG is committed to providing exceptional assistance to member communities and will continue to make every effort to meet each community's needs. 

The 22nd annual meeting of NOCCOG was held on October 27, 2005 at the Franklin Hotel in Rome with approximately 100 people in attendance.

Guest speaker for the evening was Charlie Murphy, the director of Local Government Services at the NY Department of State. Ms. Murphy spoke in depth regarding the many funding programs available through the "Quality Communities" program.  Ms. Murphy also presented information regarding the expanded "Shared Municipal Services Incentives" awards program, which fosters grant funding for innovative shared services of two or more municipalites, including school districts.

NOCCOG Vice Chairman Arnie Talgo gave a presentation about the formidable and lengthy career with NOCCOG by recently retired Circuit Rifer, Steve Hunter.  Chairman Robert Sauer spoke about Hunter's many years of dedicated service and presented him with a plaque with a commemorative inscription.  Hunter graciously accepted the  honorarium and spoke of how much he enjoyed his years serving the municipalities and working with the numerous public officials  and community residents.

Chairman Sauer gave his annual report and discussed projects in which NOCCOG is currently involved, as well as recent accomplishments. He thanked the NOCCOG communities for their support and thanked the circuit riders for their hard work and efforts.

NOCCOG Fiscal Officer Mark Scheidelman gave the financial report and noted the expenses for 2005 were staying within budget projections.  All member municipalities paid their  yearly dues for 2005 for the 14th consecutive year.

Scheidelman referenced the proposed 2006 budget approved by the NOCCOG Executive Committee, noting an increase in mileage reimbursement due to higher gasoline costs.  He also noted the anticipated fund balance would offset expenses for 2006, however, in order to keep a balanced budget and remain solvent, the Executive Committee has proposed an increase of dues for member municipalities to $500 per year, as cited in the proposed budget.  A motion was made, seconded and carried to increase dues in 2006 for member municipalities from $500 per year to $550 per year.

A motion was made, seconded and carried to accept the 2006 NOCCOG proposed budget.

Nominating Committee member John Buczek, Supervisor Town of Floyd presented the slate of officers for 2006:

                              Robert Sauer of Camden - Chairman

                              Arnie Talgo of Steuben - Vice Chairman

                              Mark Scheidelman of Trenton- Fiscal Officer

There were no further nominations and the nominating process was closed.  Peter Billard, Mayor of the Village of Remsen and Nominating Committee member, requested that a single ballot  be cast for the slate.  Motion was made , seconded and carried.

There being no further business, the meeting concluded and was adjourned.