Town of Owego: Meetings to be streamed, roadwork planned

[By Matt Freeze]

OWEGO — Town of Owego officials last Tuesday announced that town council meetings will soon be streamed on YouTube and also discussed a preliminary list of planned roadwork.

Town Supervisor Gary Hellmers said the town’s new website is complete and was expected to go live on March 24.

Hellmers said the town is still working with county IT on final touches and a YouTube channel has been set up in preparation for meeting streams; video equipment was expected to be installed last Friday.

“This will be a non-interactive (stream) — if the public wishes to speak, they still have to attend in person,” Hellmers said. “After testing, we will notify the public on how to view the meetings online.”

In other business, Councilman Craig Jochum read a report from Highway Superintendent Mark Clark about anticipated roadwork and other road crew updates.

Jochum said Clark reported that the preliminary roads slated for work in Tioga Terrace are: Deborah Drive, Cherry Court, Overbook Drive, Glann Road, and Riverview Drive.

“These will all be hot-mix blacktop, the real stuff,” Jochum said.

Regarding more rural roadwork slated for this year, Jochum said Clark plans to address Forrest Hill, Jewett, and Beach.

“We’ll do preliminary work on these roads prior to resurfacing — cutting shoulders for drainage, pipe replacement where needed,” Jochum said. “Hot mix patching (will be done) before resurfacing (those roads). These are just the south side roads; we’re evaluating (the) north side and addressing failures there also.”

Jochum reported that a couple of additional part-time employees who both have CDLs will be joining the town.

Additionally, Jochum said Clark had interviewed three road crew candidates for full-time positions, and all of them also have CDLs.

In other town business, Hellmers said the used tire collection event will take place on April 18 from 8 a.m. to noon at the town’s shared services building next to the town hall and state police barracks on Route 434.

Jochum also reported that there is no update on getting the two new town trucks upfitted, and they are still sitting at Burr Truck in Vestal.