December 18th, 2017
HORNELL, NY –There were several resolutions passed at the last city common council meeting of the year Monday evening.
The first resolution passed was the Vacant and at Risk Property Registrations and Remediation Ordinance. “This is just another tool in the tool chest for code enforcement because we have properties that people are paying taxes on, both commercial and residential, that sit vacant for years and are an eyesore to the community,” explained the Mayor. Hogan made sure to remind everyone that this is simply an ordinance, not a law.
The next resolution pertained to the sale of the old courthouse on 12 Allen Street adjacent to the intermediate school. According to the Mayor, the county has abandoned responsibility for the building and put the burden of upkeep, heating and electricity back onto the city. Because the building is unoccupied and under-utilized, Hogan said it is in the best interest of the city to sell it to a private entity and get it back on the tax rolls. A potential buyer is already in the works and the title will soon be passed over to him. If all goes according to plans, there could possibly be a distillery there in the future.
The third resolution has to do with a 5.2 acre parcel of land owned by the city just north of the Hornell Plaza next to Wegmans. The new owners of the Plaza, the Davis Group, plan on developing that area if all the environmental studies prove favorable. According to Hogan, the 5.2 acres is landlocked and is really of no use to anyone other than the person owning the surrounding property. Once they get the green light to develop, the Davis Group will be paying the city $5,000 an acre.
Other resolutions passed were authorizing the Mayor to sign agreements between ACDS and HPG, and also allowing the Fire Department to transfer funds from their ambulatory account to their general fund to cover unexpected expenditures. And finally, a traffic ordinance was passed that will restrict parking on the last 150 feet of Mill Street.
