GLOVERSVILLE – The Common Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the hiring of a mobility manager assistant who eventually will replace outgoing Transit Manager Bill Walrath.
Mayor Dayton King chose Brent R. Warren to replace Walrath, whose impending retirement was announced earlier this year.
Officials said Warren is a local resident and graduate of Gloversville High School who has military experience. He is a retired member of the Air Force and met the qualifications necessary for the job, King said.
Warren will be in the position for 90 days. The position is meant to be temporary so he can familiarize himself with the city’s transit department.
Walrath is scheduled to retire around the end of August and will work with Warren on matters such as paperwork and grant applications. King said Walrath was involved in the interviews for the job.
Warren, who was approved by Fulton County Civil Service for the position, will be paid $56,822 per year based on a 40-hour work week.
Vacant building fees
Also during Tuesday’s council meeting, fees for the city’s vacant buildings ordinance were put in place.
The council unanimously voted to approve the fee schedule for the ordinance, which was passed in March.
The ordinance created a registration requirement for vacant buildings, a registration fee and a requirement that owners provide a plan for their vacant buildings. The new law considers a building vacant if no one lives in it or occupies it for 30 days.
No one spoke at a public hearing before the vote on the fee schedule.
The schedule would include a $50 fee for registration and any requests for extensions to submit a plan for use of the building.
A $1,000 fee would be imposed for vacancies that go on for 365 days after the initial determination of vacancy. The second-year fee would be $1,500, and the fee would be $2,500 for subsequent years.
Failure to complete a plan of use for a building or meet progress benchmarks would result in a fee of $1,000.
The ordinance considers a building vacant if no one has lived in it for more than 30 days. Buildings damaged by fire or natural disasters are exempt for 90 days.
The ordinance applies to houses and commercial buildings.
