BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg City Council will meet Thursday at 4 p.m. to act on a resolution that would place City Manager Sarah Purdy on administrative leave.

The meeting will not allow for public comment.

Purdy has already planned to retire from her position next month. The agenda says the city council will go into executive session to discuss the employment history of a particular individual.

Ogdensburg City Councilor Michael Powers said he believes the action will result in a lawsuit for the city because it’s retaliatory in nature. Powers said workplace safety complaints have been filed with the Public Employees Safety and Health Bureau against the Mayor Jeffrey “Mike” Skelly. He says the resolution is not about job performance.

Skelly said the resolution is not related to complaints made against him.

“I haven’t seen any complaints or been made aware of them until now,” he said.

Skelly said in April that he intended to put forward a resolution to remove her from the position. However, before any resolution came before council, Purdy notified the council she would be retiring.

The council then passed a resolution in a 4-3 vote to ask Purdy to use her vacation time prior to her retirement, however it was a request not an order.

Skelly said new resolution set for tomorrow has been reviewed and rewritten by the city attorney.

Voting in favor of the resolution were Mayor Skelly, Deputy Mayor John Rishe, and councilors Bill Dillabough and Steve Fisher.

Opposed were councilors Dan Skamperle, Michael Powers and Nichole Kennedy. Similar vote outcomes are likely Thursday as the vast majority of decisions over the past two months have been similarly split.

It’s unclear how the executive session will be held. Typically the council leaves the chambers to discuss items in executive session then returns to take action. However since they are meeting remotely and people will be logged into the meeting, the process for holding the private discussion could present a challenge. Skelly said details on how it will be facilitated are still being worked out.

Powers said he is also concerned about the time frame of the meeting. He said holding the meeting at 4 p.m. will make it hard for many to attend.

He also said that four members of council are using the governor’s emergency declaration to avoid holding a meeting that would normally allow for better public scrutiny.

The public will have an opportunity to view in the meeting using the following link:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6206741346652374032 or by calling 1-213-929-4212 and entering Access Code #992-751-490. The public can preregister to attend the meeting by using the link above.

The proposed resolution follows:

WHEREAS, this City Council has expressed its concern over the City's financial health as it faces projected losses of sales tax and real property tax revenue, as well as pending State cuts to Municipal Aid, and

WHEREAS, this City Council has clearly stated its directions to the City Manager to make the necessary adjustments to the City budget to compensate for this loss of revenue, and

WHEREAS, the City Manager has failed to implement the necessary budget adjustments requested by this City Council, and has otherwise obstructed its plans to improve the City's financial health, and

WHEREAS, the City Manager serves at the pleasure of the City Council.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Manager Sarah Purdy is hereby immediately placed on administrative leave, with full pay and benefits, through June 26, 2020, her stated retirement date.

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