By JIMMY LAWTON

OGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg City Council passed a resolution Monday calling on the New York Department of Labor to retain its Ogdensburg office.

According to city councilors, the DOL’s lease with St. Lawrence-Lewis County BOCES will soon expire and a suitable location has not yet been identified.

Ed Snow, a representative from the Public Employees Federation, spoke at the meeting and called on the city to oppose any plan that would involve moving the DOL offices outside of the city.

Snow said DOL officials say they have been searching for a suitable location to no avail, but he questioned the legitimacy of the statement. Ogdensburg City Council seemed to agree, stating that they could likely find a space for the operations.

There was a questione raised as to whether the property must be owned by a government entity, but Snow could not answer.

A spokesperson for veterans groups in the area said the DOL offices in Ogdensburg are vital to military service men and women returning from duty. He said losing the city’s location would be burdensome on veterans who often rely on the DOL when transitioning into the private sector.

City councilors agreed that the office should stay within the city limits.

“Moving the New York State Labor Department Ogdensburg Office outside of the City of Ogdensburg would cause a hardship for many residents of the Ogdensburg area for whom travel and access to other Department of Labor facilities outside of this region would be difficult,” the resolution said.

The resolution passed unanimously and will be forwarded to officials at the Department of Labor.