Fillmore seeks Osborn's board replacement

FILLMORE -- With the untimely death of Fillmore Town Council president Jeff Osborn on Saturday, the council is now seeking a replacement.

Osborn, 55, had been in the hospital in intensive care since Feb. 3 with liver failure from an unknown cause. He died Feb. 26. He had served as a town councilor since 2008.

Besides dealing with their shock and sadness at Osborn's death, fellow council members Wes Terhune and Alan Jones must now choose a new councilor to finish out Osborn's term.

Jones spent Thursday distributing fliers throughout Ward 3 asking for applicants to fill out the remainder of Osborn's term, which ends Dec. 31. An eligible candidate must be registered voter, have been a Fillmore resident for at least one year and a Ward 3 resident for the last six months.

Ward 3's norther boundary is Putnam St., extending south to the town limits. It runs from CR 475E on its western border to S. Main St. on the east. The ward encompasses the entirety of the Westwood Rd. area, or "New Addition," as it is known locally.

Applications are available at Fillmore Town Hall, 2 N. Main St., or by calling Jones at 246-6316. All applications and resumés, if available, are due at town hall by 2 p.m. March 10.

The town has 30 business days to fill Osborn's seat. The two remaining council members will likely choose his replacement at the April 7 meeting.

Without a full council, Terhune and Jones chose to table some matters until a successor is chosen. Chief among these were cuts to the 2011 budget and a contract with the Humane Society of Putnam County.

Putnam County Economic Development director Bill Dory and Liberty Industries president Curt Clearwaters appeared before the board about an economic revitalization area. Declaring a property an economic revitalization area is the first step in the tax abatement process.

Liberty is planning a $200,000 investment in real estate and equipment to install two cranes on the property.

The board also approved a mileage ordinance that permanently sets the town's mileage rate at the federal rate.