ONEIDA, N.Y. — Oneida Mayor Rick Rossi and the Common Council voted to abolish the office of the commissioner of public safety and pass those responsibilities to Oneida City Manager Kyle Lovell during their meeting Tuesday evening.
The council set a public comment period regarding the issue at the next common council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Lovell, as part of his duties, serves as the chief executive officer of Oneida. Those duties include administration of pubic services, managing departments and overseeing daily operations of the city. The council, by fiat, has determined that Lovell’s responsibilities can include communication and cooperation between Oneida’s police and fire departments.
“I want to thank Fire Chief Scott Jones for all his work reviewing the service fees,” First Ward Councilwoman Lynne McHugh said. “He helped keep our city services tenable and feasible for our residents.”
The changes will take effect after filing with the Secretary of State.
“My job will be to handle hirings, firings, and discipline,” Lovell said. “I’ll also handle union negotiations, but I’ve been doing that anyway.”
During the Jan. 6 meeting, Rossi thanked Oneida Public Safety Officer David Jones for his work as a liaison between the city’s fire and police departments and for helping to keep the city as safe as possible. Rossi proclaimed Jan. 6 as Dave Jones Day.
“Dave Jones has served the city of Oneida with distinction as Public Safety Commissioner, providing steady leadership, thoughtful guidance, and objective insight to the police and fire departments,” Rossi said at the time. “I found a man I can trust.”
Jones is a retired investigator for the Syracuse Police Department and had been working for the city of Oneida before budget moves eliminated the position.
“Moving the public safety officer responsibilities to our city manager gives our employees is just one less step to getting things done,” Rossi said.
The council also voted to update the fee schedule for fire and rescue services.
The council had updated the fee schedule in October 2000.
“The cost of providing services has increased significantly due to inflation, changes in regulatory requirements, staffing costs and administrative expenses. As a result, the current fees no longer reflect the actual cost of service delivery,” Lovell said.
City officials developed the new fee schedule by reviewing current operational expenses and comparable fee structures from similar agencies.
Charges for a single-vehicle or low-impact collision with no extrication will cost $300; a multi-vehicle or high-impact collision involving vehicle extraction or advanced operations will cost $500.
For rescue services, a light rescue, including lift assist, minor entrapment or basic stabilization, will cost $350. A complex rescue involving extrication, confined space, technical rope or prolonged operations will cost $600.
Light motor vehicles involving passenger vehicles, vans, pickup trucks, and SUVs, will cost will cost $300. A complex motor vehicle involving commercial vehicles, over-the-road trucks, mobile homes and buses will cost $500.
A minor hazardous material incident involving mitigation, containment, and cleanup without outside help or contractors will cost $300. A major hazardous material incident requiring a multi-agency response, which includes state or federal agencies, will cost $900.
The council has not yet determined costs for incidents for city equipment destroyed or contaminated by biohazards, chemicals or fuel during a rescue.
The city will charge the following after one hour of fire rescue service:
• Class 1 fire engine: $250 plus staffing.
• two EMTs: $150 plus materials.
• one EMT and one paramedic: $200 plus materials.
• deputy chief: $120.
• lieutenant: $100.
• paramedic: $95.
• EMT: $85.
“The proposed fee schedule is intended to better align fees with current operational costs while maintaining service quality, promote equitable cost recovery and ensure the continued delivery of high-quality services,” Lovell said.
“Updating the fee schedule will help recover an appropriate portion of costs while maintaining service quality and minimizing the need to subsidize fee-supported services with general funds,” he continued.
Lovell also shared that Oneida has stopped sharing water with local municipalities that faced a water emergency after a water line owned and operated by the Onondaga County Water Authority burst on Dec. 23, 2025, after a thaw.
The damaged pipe left the towns of Lincoln, Lenox and Sullivan — and towns in eastern Onondaga County — with a severe water shortage until repairs on the pipe were completed Jan. 16
The city of Oneida has helped alleviate the water shortage by sharing water with surrounding communities.
Lovell said Oneida sent over 800,000 gallons of water to areas affected by the break.
“The city’s water supply is not being affected by the break, but we have been able to supply other towns at this time,” he said during the January 6 common council meeting.
Oneida receives its water from Glenmore Reservoir in Oneida County. City residents voted for bonding to repair and upgrade the reservoir in 2023.
Lovell said OCWA reimbursed the city $90,000 for their help.
“Oneida is done supplying water to the other areas,” he said. “And we received a nice paycheck for supplying good Oneida water to our neighbors.”
