Three Ogdensburg businesses in the city’s marina district that improved their properties under the state’s Main Street grant program spent their funds accordingly to be reimbursed by it for 50 percent of their expenses.

Meeting Friday, the Ogdensburg Growth Fund Development Corp. officially approved and signed off on contractors invoices for: Dixie Lee Fried Chicken, 432 State St.; Morristown contractor Bernard Bertrand for 637 State St., now occupied by Little Caesars and Create A Can; and Plattsburgh businessman Gilbert Jones for his development of the former Ramada Inn, 119 W. River St., into a hotel and apartments.

The three enterprises applied for the remaining $74,328 of the $200,000 with the understanding that it’d amount to a 50 percent reimbursement of what they’d spent. Most of their work had already been done so the invoices had to be checked and certified by the Growth Fund.

According to James A. O’Neill and David R. Weissbard, president and administrator, respectively, of C.W. Augustine consultants, DeKalb Junction, the approved invoice and reimbursement totals are: Dixie Lee, $19,000 and $9,644.79; Mr. Bertrand, $27,649 and $12,724.35; and Mr. Jones, $121,258.21 and $60,000.

Board member Scott Wright abstained from voting on the Jones invoices because his business, Pepsi Cola Ogdensburg Bottlers Inc., is one of Mr. Jones’s vendors. The rest was unanimous with Chairman/Mayor William D. Nelson, Acting City Manager Philip A. Cosmo, Mindy McNamara, Dallas Sutton, Lori Smithers and Sam LaMacchia all voted in favor.

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