Isophoric News · Tuesday, October 27, 2026
A proposal to extend Oswego's sewer agreement with the Town of Oswego from five years to 30 cleared a council committee; the record does not show what the full Council did
The city's Administrative Services Committee voted unanimously on Feb. 17 to send the full Common Council a request from the mayor to amend the city's sewer use agreement with the Town of Oswego, extending its term from five years to 30 to line up with the town's 30-year state Environmental Facilities Corporation bond financing. The request went to the Council as Resolution 55 on the Feb. 23 agenda. The newsroom holds that agenda but not the minutes or a recording of the meeting, so it does not know whether the Council approved it, and no later mention of the agreement appears in the 2026 meeting records the newsroom holds. Isophoric News asked the city on Oct. 23 whether the Council adopted it; the mayor replied on Oct. 26, directing the newsroom to file a request under the Freedom of Information Law to obtain the information requested, and the question was not answered. It is not on the Council's Oct. 26 agenda.
According to the committee's minutes, the request was presented by Kevin Caraccioli, whom the minutes introduce as the Town of Oswego attorney and whom the Oswego County 2026 government directory lists as the City of Oswego's city attorney, who clarified that it "does not change the current fee structure, rates, or capacity allocations, but only extends the term to satisfy lender requirements for long-term certainty." The minutes say he told the committee the agreement has been in place for roughly 20 years, applies only to wastewater service, covers the Ontario Heights, Lakeside Commons and Sleepy Hollow sewer districts, and currently sets rates through 2027 with scheduled annual increases. The town's rates, he said, are governed by contract, historically renegotiated about every five years, and any negotiated change would be subject to council authorization.
Councillors asked how a longer term would fit with the city's ability to change what it charges. One asked whether it was a chance to structure future rates so they reflect the city's cost of production, and the minutes say Caraccioli responded that extending the term could include reopening provisions letting the parties renegotiate rates periodically. Another councillor said the council should avoid locking into overly long pricing terms without review; the minutes say he agreed while cautioning against excessively long fixed-rate periods and that five-year review cycles have historically given both municipalities balance and predictability. A third asked how a 30-year term would interact with the city's authority to adjust rates if a study shows the city is undercharging, and he explained that the overall term could run to 30 years but would include scheduled reopening provisions, which typically happen every three to five years, to renegotiate rates and capacity, "ensuring continued Council oversight."
The newsroom has not seen the agreement, any draft amendment or the Council's resolution, so it cannot say whether the amendment as presented to the Council contains the reopening provisions described in committee.
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