CORTLAND Action is delayed on sewer dispute

More decorative snowflakes are planned for downtown Cortland.
CORTLAND -- City council has postponed additional fines or action against developer Anthony Petrocco until his lawyers and consultants, and lawyers and consultants for the city, have the chance to meet.
Two weeks ago, council threatened to fine the developer $300 a day, starting today, if he did not turn in a comprehensive report on how he would fix what council thinks is an improperly installed drainage system on Anthony Circle and Laura Lane, in the Shepherds Hill neighborhood.
Council rejected an earlier plan by Petrocco as incomplete.
At a council meeting Monday, city Law Director Patrick Wilson said Petrocco was seeking a more detailed explanation of what the city required.
He said the explanation would be provided to the developer at a meeting later this week.
At issue
This summer, consultants working for the city concluded that Petrocco did not follow the storm sewer plans that were approved for the neighborhood, and wound up with an area that does not meet local subdivision regulations.
Council member Michael Hillman said Petrocco maintains that the drainage system was installed properly, according to plan.
Petrocco could not be reached for comment after the meeting.
Residents and officials, however, blame the drainage system for neighborhood flooding this summer and continuing standing water.
Council also approved wiring electrical poles for snowflake holiday decorations, and increasing the number of decorations that can be hung.
The electric company has required that by next year, decorations must be plugged into the poles through a circuit breaker, rather than be directly wired into the line, officials say.
Upgrading poles for the 28 decorations now owned by the Snowflake Committee, and the 15 more they plan to buy, will cost about $6,000, officials said.