AUBURN - The city's legal counsel may have just been appointed Thursday to a full-time position, but he is not new to the job.

City Manager Mark Palesh announced during Auburn City Council's business meeting that John Rossi will head the corporation counsel office on a full-time basis. Rossi has been working as a part-time attorney for the city since December 2006.

“It has been an interesting challenge, doing this for the past year and a half,” Rossi said after the council meeting. “It has been a very enjoyable experience.”

The Auburn lawyer started working for the city as part of a legal team that replaced the former city attorney, Thomas Leone, who was elected Cayuga County judge in 2006. City council approved in June a budget that included a corporation counsel office with a full-time attorney, an assistant and a secretary.

Rossi said officials have still not decided whether the office will include a single, full-time assistant or two assistant attorneys working on a part-time basis. He added that Andrew Fusco, who has also worked as part-time counsel for the city, has expressed interest in staying on with the office.

Fusco was not available Thursday evening for comment.

Rossi said he gave a great deal of consideration to the job before deciding to go for the full-time position. When he started, he expected it to be a temporary thing, Rossi said.

“I never thought it would come to this stage,” said Rossi, who added he will also be allowed to continue practicing privately on a “very limited” basis.

While announcing Rossi's appointment, Palesh praised the work Rossi has done during his tenure with the city.

“He is one of those citizens who has filled the gap for us,” Palesh said.

According to the approved 2009-2009 budget, Rossi will make $86,488 a year, plus benefits.

In other news:

* The city will front $50,000 for Amawalk Consulting Group to prepare an assessment of Auburn's water and sewer systems. However, Palesh said before council approved the resolution authorizing the payment that he expects the city to receive grants from private sources or the state for the project.

“We have this grant backed up twice,” Palesh said.

Council passed a resolution in June authorizing the water and sewer project under the condition that the city secures the grant money first. Under the new resolution, the city will pay Amawalk, who will subcontract to Conestoga-Rovers & Associates Inc. to assist in the project, before it is reimbursed.

According to the proposal from Amawalk, the study will examine the following: the future demand for water and sewer services within the city and outside communities, a 10-year projection of cash flow needed to improve and maintain the city's water and sewer systems, and a projection of the cost responsibility and rates for customers within the city and other communities for those services.

* City council unanimously supported the Community Preservation Committee's application for $200,000 grant from the state to further renovate Willard Memorial Chapel. The committee is applying for the money through a state Environmental Protection Fund Grant.

Such grants are used to “preserve, rehabilitate or restore lands, waters or structures for park, recreation or conservation purposes,” according to the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

* Auburn residents will be able to voice their opinions next Thursday about the city's cap on gasoline sales tax. Council unanimously approved a resolution scheduling a public hearing on the topic for the next city council meeting.

The meeting starts at 4 p.m. and will be held at Memorial City Hall, 24 South St.

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