AUBURN - The city of Auburn will hire a private consultant to take the place of a utilities director for the next year.

The City Council voted Wednesday at its weekly meeting to pay a representative from Amawalk Consulting Inc. to oversee the city's municipal utilities department. Robert Game, from Amawalk, will work with and advise city staff on operation of the water treatment, wastewater treatment and hydropower programs.

According to the resolution, the consultant will be paid $57.05 per hour for 12 months, and his total payment is not to exceed $99,500.

Before council unanimously approved the resolution, City Manager Mark Palesh explained the need for the consultant. The city has been unable to fill its utilities director position, but it faces a number of challenges with the programs the director would oversee, Palesh said.

According to city officials, some of the issues needed to be dealt with include the following: lowering operation costs for the wastewater system, reducing high flows that tax the sewer system during wet weather, improving hydroelectric facilities, making sure sewer and water customers who live outside of the city pay fair rates.

“We are the economic engine for the water and sewer in the surrounding communities,” Palesh said.

Councilor William Graney inquired before the vote if the city will have the ability to terminate the contract if the consultant fails to perform to expectations. It is not fair that city residents to pay more for the same water and sewer services than the surrounding municipalities, he said. But this is happening with the current contracts, and the city needs to deal with it sooner than later, Graney said.

“I want things done immediately,” Graney said. “We're getting killed on this.”

Corporation Counsel John Rossi said the city will be able to terminate the contract if expectations are not met.

In other news:

- The city will retain an outside law firm for legal assistance as it handles a dispute with Verizon New York Inc. Councilors unanimously voted to authorize city officials to hire Schoeneck & King, PLLC as consultants at rates between $175 and $275 per hour.

Verizon filed a complaint against Auburn last month in U.S. Northern District Court claiming the city is illegally charging an unreasonable rate to give the telecommunications access to its conduit system. Verizon uses the network of underground ducts for its phone and Internet lines located in the downtown area.

In 2001, city officials set the annual rate for use of the ducts to 60 cents per linear foot, which Verizon representatives call “unreasonable and discriminatory” in the complaint. Verizon has not paid for using the ducts since 2001, and Rossi estimated the company owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in missed payments and interest.

Councilor Thomas McNabb said before the vote that he is usually opposed to hiring outside help for legal situations. However, the amount of city residents who use the company's fiber optic services make this an important issue, he said.

“All the sudden, the tail wants to wag the dog and leave us out in the cold,” McNabb said.

- A group of Auburn Fire Department employees and supporters attended the meeting, which included a session for public to be heard. But none opted to address city manager's recent decision to close a city fire station.

“I came to show support and unity with the (firefighters) union,” Steve DeLuca, a firefighter in attendance, said after the meeting.

- Councilors authorized the city to issue $1.2 million in serial bonds to pay for the purchase of heavy equipment for the Department of Public Works. The department is in need of a new front-end loader, a hydraulic back hoe, a compactor, two truck chassis and packers.

- May 31 will be “No Tobacco Ads Day” in the city of Auburn. The council approved a resolution asking all retail stores to take down outdoor tobacco advertisements and indoor advertisements at eye level for children from that day forward.

- There will be no city council meeting on April 17. The council voted to cancel its next meeting because a number of councilors will be out of the state on that day. Regular, weekly meetings will resume at 6 p.m. April 24.

- Councilors appointed two people to the Auburn Industrial Development Authority. James A. Dacey and Mayor Michael Quill will serve terms through the end of the year.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.