OGDENSBURG — The administrator of the city’s housing rehabilitation program has declined to write and administer grants for the coming year.

James A. O’Neill, president of C. W. Augustine of DeKalb Junction, notified the city that his firm will not write Community Development Block Grant applications ahead of an Aug. 17 deadline, leaving the city without a grant writer or a program administrator.

“He just declined to participate at this point,” said interim City Manager Philip A. Cosmo. “He didn’t really give us a reason.”

Mr. Cosmo said Ogdensburg will turn to the Development Authority of the North Country to write and possibly administer its housing rehabilitation grants, but was unsure whether the applications would be submitted before deadline.

“We’re in the process of partnering with them,” he said. “We’re going to try as hard as we can to get it done in the normal timeline.”

A public hearing for the Community Development Block Grant application remains scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m. in the City Council chambers.

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