City of Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig announced on Monday, March 16th that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an emergency situation that requires unprecedented actions to protect the health of the general public, the City of Oneonta will be closed to the public and non-essential City services will be shut down through at least Tuesday, March 31st, 2020.

City Operations
During the closure, City operations have been divided into two categories:

  •  Emergency functions which will operate as normal but with expanded safety and health precautions and protections for both employees and the public alike. These functions include Police, Fire, and EMS.
  • Non-emergency functions, which will operate on a limited basis, modified schedule, and/or remotely to continue to provide important public services. As with emergency operations, expanded safety and health precautions will be in place, and staff will be practicing appropriate social distancing measures. Non-emergency functions include water treatment, public service, wastewater
    treatment, public transit, code enforcement, engineering, city clerk, buildings and grounds, central garage, utilities, finance, purchasing, personnel, community development, recreation, and airport.Emergency Functions
  • The Oneonta Police Department can be contacted at 911 for emergencies. For non-emergency OPD business, please call (607) 432-1113.
  • The Oneonta Fire Department can be contacted at 911 for emergencies. For non-emergency OFD business, please call (607) 433-3480.Non-Emergency Functions
  • Effective Wednesday, March 18th, 2020, Oneonta Public Transit will be suspending all night buses.
  • Effective Monday, March 23rd, 2020, Oneonta Public Transit (OPT) will be operating on an abbreviated schedule which will include the following:
    - There will be only one Cooperstown bus, running from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
    - The West End and Southside routes will be combined – West End will run at
    the top of the hour and Southside will run on the half hour.
    -There will be no Hillside bus. The SUNY bus will cover Hillside every half
    hour (7 a.m. until 6 p.m.)
    - River/East bus schedule remains the same.
    - Paratransit bus will run as scheduled.
    - There will be no Sunday Southside bus.
    - OPT’s lobby will be closed. The transaction window will remain open. The
    public is encouraged to use the ticket vending machine in the lobby,
    whenever possible.
  • The Code Enforcement Office has suspended regularly scheduled building inspections. Emergency or unsafe building inspections will be performed as needed. For routine matters, residents may continue to contact the Code Enforcement Office by emailing codeenforcement@oneonta.ny.us;
    staff will respond as needed. For emergency building code situations, please call 911.
  • For urgent Public Service matters, including malfunctioning traffic signals or problems with street signs, traffic accidents involving large animals, etc., please contact the Oneonta Police Department Dispatch at (607) 432-1113. For routine Public Service matters and questions, please email dpsinfo@oneonta.ny.us; for all issues relating to water distribution or sewer collection, please email
    dpswater@oneonta.ny.us; staff will respond in a limited capacity during the closure.
  • The brush and yard waste collection site on Silas Lane will remain open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • As of Monday, March 23rd, the Water Treatment Plant Laboratory will only be accepting bacteriological samples from community water systems. Samples may be dropped off at the lab at 110 East Street, Monday through Wednesday from 8-11:30 a.m. Please follow written directions posted on the lab door.
  • The City of Oneonta Wastewater Treatment Plant will be closed to private septic haulers until further notice. In addition, residents are reminded that disposable wipes are not flushable – doing so may cause significant damage to the wastewater collection system and treatment plant equipment.
  • For death certificates, the City Clerk’s Office may be reached via email at npowell@oneonta.ny.us. They are currently processing urgent vital records requests only.
  • Limited staffing in non-essential areas will be available to residents. Some services can be transacted through email and mail. More information in regards to specific transactions and the process for each is available on the City’s website, www.oneonta.ny.us – see the COVID-19 section. For any other questions or urgent matters, members of the public can also contact the Mayor directly at
    mayor@oneonta.ny.us.Other Important Information:

    The City’s COVID-19 response task force continues to closely monitor and prepare for the potential spread of COVID-19 in Oneonta. Local officials have been in constant communication with Governor Cuomo’s office, Congressman Delgado’s Office, Otsego County, and other key representatives. The City will also
    assist with enforcement of the Governor’s directives related to mass gatherings and reduced occupancy.

    Public meetings at City Hall and other City-sponsored public meetings scheduled through Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 have been postponed until further notice.
    As updates become available, residents are encouraged to follow the City’s social media accounts:
    Facebook: City of Oneonta
    Twitter: @CityOneonta
    City website: www.oneonta.ny.us.

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