BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg’s police department will provide security at the Ogdensburg Airport.

A resolution to provide the service passed Friday afternoon with support from Councilors Steve Fisher, Dan Skamperle, Nichole Kennedy and Michael Powers and Mayor Jeffrey Skelly.

Councilor Bill Dillabough was not present and Deputy Mayor John Rishe abstained. Rishe is an employee of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, which owns the airport.

On Tuesday, City Council failed to renew a contract with the airport after some council members were hesitant to move forward due to the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority’s history of making payments late.

In the end, the renewal failed to pass in a 3-3 vote with councilors Bill Dillabough, Steve Fisher and Mayor Jeffrey Skelly in support and councilors Nichole Kennedy, Michael Powers and Dan Skamperle against the measure. Deputy Mayor John Rishe, who is an employee of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority abstained.

The nay voters said they would support renewing the contract with an amendment that aimed to ensure payment would be made within 30 days.

The current contract runs through May 31, after which time, if the OBPA is unable to secure a security deal, the airport would effectively shut down.

Skamperle said he Acting City Manager Andrea Smith negotiated an agreement with the OBPA to ensure payments would be made with in 60 days and was passed at the special meeting.

Skamperle called the deal a win-win in  a brief interview following the meeting.

“It’s good for taxpayers, it’s good for the OBPA and it’s good for the city,” he said.

Skamperle said they never had any intention of letting the airport shutdown.

“The goal was to bring them to the table and get a solution that benefited everyone and it worked,” he said.

In a letter issued earlier this week Mayor Skelly said he'd support the compromised deal but disliked the idea of putting pressure on the OBPA.