Jamestown City Council voting session (November 28, 2022)

Jamestown City Council has approved using $3.75 million in American Rescue Plan funds for several programs, including funding the Chautauqua County Land Bank.

The proposals that had been on Council members’ desks for several months included funding a Non-Profit Assistance Program with $1.5 million, the Chautauqua County Land Bank with $1 million, the Business Expansion and Building Acquisition program with $750,000, and the 19A Homeownership program with $500,000.

The 19A Homeownership program was initially proposed to be funded with $750,000, but was reduced, with the intention that the other $250,000 would go toward the Senior Citizen Home Improvement Incentive program. With Council’s approval of last night’s resolutions, the Senior Citizen program is now fully funded for those who had qualified for the program, but not funded due to monies being exhausted.

Council tabled two local laws that need to now sit on their desks for 30 days. One is a local law to authorize the use of video conferencing for meetings of public bodies. Council President Tony Dolce said the law will just reinforce what the city had been doing for the past two years.

The other local law is for the reapportionment of Ward boundary lines. Both local laws will be voted on at Council’s voting session in December.

Jamestown City Council

Mayor Eddie Sundquist‘s $38.68 million Executive Budget proposal included no tax increase. The tax levy is proposed to remain at $23.69 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which it has been since 2020. It has a 0.06% increase in the overall levy.

Council members have raised concerns over a proposed parking meter rate increase. The budget has on-street meters rates rising from 25-cents to 50-cents a half hour, for a total of $1 an hour. The parking revenue budgeted for 2023 is $245,000 versus $127,000 for 2022, a 31% increase.

Police Chief Tim Jackson also raised concerns over the SWAT Team, training, and K9 handler being underfunded.

There are also have been concerns over the need for additional staff for Information Technology Services. Information Technology Director Mark Dean informed Council that his request for an IT Specialist was not funded in the Executive Budget. He said the $42,634 for the additional position is needed to handle cyber security needs and network hardware-software needs.

Finance Chair and Council member at Large Kim Ecklund had expressed concern over departments doing their own tech work when there are staff assigned to handle that already.

Council must vote on a budget by December 1 or the mayor’s proposed budget goes into effect.
Council also will vote on several American Rescue Plan funded projects that have been languishing on their agenda for months.

Resolutions to be approved include $1.5 million for a Non-Profit Assistance Program program, $1 million for the Chautauqua County Land Bank Post-Pandemic Housing Initiative, $750,000 for a Business Expansion & Building Acquisition program, and $500,000 for the 19A Homeownership Program.

The proposed amount for the 19A Homeownership program has been reduced by $250,000 with another resolution re-appropriating that amount to the very popular Senior Citizen Home Improvement Incentive Program.

Council also will vote to approve a local law on the Reapportionment of Ward Boundary lines.

City Council will hold a work session at 7:00 p.m. in the 4th Floor Police Training Room with the full voting session taking place at 7:30 p.m in the Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building. The meetings are open to the public with the voting session being livestreamed on jamestownny.gov.

Gebbie Foundation CEO Greg Edwards addresses Jamestown City Council (November 7, 2022)

The executive directors of the Community Foundation and Gebbie Foundation made pleas to Jamestown City Council to move forward with American Rescue Plan funding.

Chautauqua Region Community Foundation Executive Director Tory Irgang, speaking to Council, reminded them how CRCF helped compile the community feedback from public information sessions held in 2021 on how to use the ARPA funds.

She said it’s easy to adopt a “scarcity mindset,” “A time when partnerships and collaborations can be mistaken as weakness. However, we have proven in this community what can happen when we have an abundance mindset. We work through public, private partnerships every day to achieve tremendous results. And I encourage each of you to lean into that shared experience by aligning the remaining ARPA funding with community-based projects that have significant leveraging opportunities.”

Irgang said projects that had been evaluated and awarded other funding from government and philanthropic sources should be considered, “Projects that provide infrastructure and programming for children and young adults, projects that yield measurable results, deliver significant community benefit, and address challenges that are multi-faceted. As we know all too well in philanthropy, our needs are always greater than our resources, but we can meet so many more needs when we collaborate and work together.”

Gebbie Foundation CEO Greg Edwards said the city has been very successful at finding partners in its mission over the last 20 years, “Over the last 20 years, many times not-for-profits have willingly stepped up and the public-private entities have stepped up because they had seen how valuable our joint mission was and invested dramatically in trying to impact the future of the city in ways we could spend a great deal of time tonight celebrating this partnership between the city and these entities.”

Edwards encouraged funding for TheZone project at the Northwest Arena. He said the Gebbie Foundation has provided nearly $4 million in funding for that project. He also encouraged Council to support the new Jamestown YMCA project on Harrison Street.

Council member Marie Carrubba asked what the plans were for the current YMCA location on East Fourth Street.

Edwards replied that the 1929 structure is complicated with the Housing and Urban Development contract for housing that remains in place for at least 13 years, “But there have been significant conversations around how that could actually be a plus to other redevelopments potentially around the city and how that building itself could be reused. I had a conversation two months ago with a private developer who was interested in turning it into what we’ll call higher end housing because it does come with some amenities that other buildings don’t. I mean, having the gyms, the pools, those sorts of things that does provide opportunities, call it built in, that make it interesting.”

Council Member at Large Jeff Russell voiced support for a new YMCA facility.

Any funding for the projects mentioned by Edwards would possibly receive funding from the proposed Non-Profit Assistance Program. A resolution to fund that program with $1.5 million in ARP funds is still awaiting Council action.

Council member Andrew Faulkner questioned how much the 19A Home Ownership program could be funded with and still be successful. Director of Development Crystal Surdyk said $500,000 would be the absolute minimum. The current proposal is requesting $750,000.

Council member at large Russell asked why the city would contract with the Chautauqua County Land Bank for $1 million, of which 20% goes to administrative fees, when the city could do home demolitions itself.

Surdyk said $500,000 of the funds requested by the Land Bank would go to contractors to do the demolition work, with administration fees going to administer that program.

She said while the DOD can administer demolitions, as it has done in the past, there are now over 16 new programs the department is now administering on top of existing programs, “To administer effectively the demolition program and these and new grant programs that we have received over the last year, it’s just not feasible without hiring new staff, specifically to do demolition. So, we can contract with the Land Bank at a roughly 20% administrative fee which would ultimately be less than what we’d have to pay to employ somebody as a city employee.”

The Finance Committee tabled the resolutions related to funding the Chautauqua County Land Bank and 19A Home Ownership Program until the November 14 work session.

And DPW Director Jeff Lehman reported that leaf pickup is ahead of schedule with Phase 2 already underway this week. He said crews do plan to go back through the city again after the completion of Phase 2 to try to pick up any piles of leaves that were missed the first time.

Jamestown City Council work session (October 3, 2022)

Jamestown City Council continued discussions on how to use American Rescue Plan funds as new programs are proposed.

Council reviewed resolutions totaling $4 million in allocations that would create a Non-Profit Assistance Program, a Business Expansion & Building Acquisition program, a 19A Homeownership Program; and give funding to the Chautauqua County Land Bank.

Finance Committee Chair and Council member at Large Kim Ecklund, expressed concern that if all proposed allocations are approved in addition to a proposal to add more funding to the Senior Citizen Home Improvement program, that will leave just over $4 million left in unexpended ARP funds.

One proposal would give $1 million to the Chautauqua County Land Bank to create a First Time Homebuyer’s Assistance Rebate Program, to support the expansion of the Hands On Neighborhoods Program, and to assist in the Land Bank’s purchase of an information management platform.

Director of Development Crystal Surdyk said the Land Bank also will use funding to help with demolitions in the city. She said the city is limited by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to $150,000 for how they use federal funding for demolitions. With the average cost of demolitions around $30,000, Surdyk said the city runs out of funds fast every year.

She said there are 50 homes in need of demolition this year and that there are only about 4 local contractors who have the background to do the demo’s.

Council President Tony Dolce said demolitions are important, “Last summer when we had our meetings, a lot of people had spoken about, talked about that. We don’t have a large fund for demolition and I think we need to look at that.”

Ecklund said her concern was whether demolitions should be done internally or contracted out.

Council member Andrew Faulkner said that was one of his concerns as well, “Under their proposal, they’ve got $200,000 in administrative fees. They’re going to do demo’s. That’s quite a few demo’s in that $200,000 in admin fees that could be done.”

Surdyk said she will be passing along questions and concerns to Land Bank Executive Director Gina Paradis with hopes to have her at the next Council work session on October 17 to provide more details.

Jamestown City Council

One of the resolutions using ARP funds would use $1.5 million to create a Non-Profit Assistance Program.

The staff report said the program would provide competitive grant funding designed to assist Jamestown non-profit organizations recover from the pandemic and corresponding economic crisis.

Awards would be structured as 50% grant and 50% forgivable loan. The loan portion of the award would be forgiven if measurables as stated by the applicant are met by December 31, 2026. Awards would assist with up to 75% of the total project costs in amounts not to exceed $200,000. A minimum of 25% of the total project costs will be the responsibility of the applicant. Awards over $200,000 would be considered on a case-by-case basis and will require a PILOT agreement with the City of Jamestown.

Council also will review a request to give $1 million in ARP funds to the Chautauqua County Land Bank program. The funding would be used to create a First Time Homebuyer’s Assistance Rebate Program, to support the expansion of the Hands On Neighborhoods Program, and to assist in the Land Bank’s purchase of an information management platform that will complement the “City’s use of Building Blocks to facilitate strategic initiatives, workflows and vendor communications.”

The 19A Homeownership Program also is on the agenda again with proposed funding of $750,000 in ARP funds.

The last resolution involving ARP funds is the use of $750,000 to create a Business Expansion & Building Acquisition program.

Under the program, businesses could use the funding for essential building systems including roof repairs, elevator repairs, property renovations to improve traffic patterns, drainage solutions and repairs, and other repairs deemed necessary to support expanded services.

The program also structures awards as 50% grant and 50% forgivable loan. The loan portion of the award will be forgiven if measurables as stated by the applicant are met by December 31, 2026.

Awards would assist with up to 75% of the total project costs in amounts not to exceed $200,000. A minimum of 25% of the total project costs will be the responsibility of the applicant.

Council also will review a $4,000 donation to the Police Department by Rand Precision Machining to fund a Citizens Police Academy.

According to the staff report, Chief Tim Jackson plans to revive the academy that was held several years ago. It would be a three-hour session held once a week for 10 weeks and would focus on arrest procedures, juvenile procedures, vehicle and traffic law, crime scene investigations, emergency response teams, drug enforcement, DWI, community policing, range procedures, and defensive tactics.

Council Committee meetings start at 6:30 p.m. with the Housing Committee, followed by other committees meeting at 7:00 p.m. The full work session begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Fourth Floor Police Training Room in City Hall. All meetings are open to the public with the full work session being streamed on jamestownny.gov.

Jamestown City Council

One resolution would move $500,000 from the Home Improvement Incentive Program to the Senior Citizen Home program. Another resolution would designate an additional $500,000 in American Rescue Plan monies to the program.

According to the staff report, there were over $1.8 million in requests for the program, which had initially been funded with $500,000 of ARPA funds.

Council also will review a local law on the proposed redistricting of City Council Boundaries. The City’s Reapportionment Commission voted in August to recommend a set of maps that have little change from the current ward boundaries.

The recommendation was based off of the minimal changes to Jamestown’s population within the last ten years.

Also on the Council’s work agenda for tonight is a 3-year lease agreement with the Center for Resolution and Justice Program. The CRJ has leased space on the third floor of the Municipal Building for a number of years and the new agreement is for 886 square feet of space. Under the proposed agreement, the organization will pay $350 the first year, $375 the second year, and $400 the third year.

A resolution to accept a $10,044 grant from the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Police Traffic Services Program will be reviewed. The funding directed at Police Traffic Services will be focused on child safety initiatives. According to the staff report, the Jamestown Police Department will run details to curtail speeding and stop sign violations.

The Housing Committee will hear an informational report on 19A Homeownership Program guidelines.

The Housing Committee meets at 6:45 with other committees meeting at 7:00 p.m. The full work session then begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Police Training Room on the fourth floor of City Hall. The meetings are open to the public with the full work session being streamed online at jamestownny.gov.

Jamestown City Council (August 29, 2022)

Jamestown City Council has approved allocating another $3 million to home improvement and business improvement programs funded through the American Rescue Plan Act monies.

The Roof, Private Sewer Lateral, Private Water Line Repair/Replacement Program received an additional $2 million with the Building & Property Infrastructure Improvements program receiving an additional $1 million.

Council President Tony Dolce said both programs had originally been funded with $750,000, “When we first passed this several months ago, we weren’t sure how much we would need. This just increases the amount to cover some of the need that’s been out there that people have requested. So, it’s really good for the city, for the citizens, for the businesses in the community.”

Dolce said for the roof and sewer program, homeowners who had received letters saying they were approved pending more funding will now receive that funding. He said the application process will not be reopened for either the housing nor business program.

Council approved an agreement with Zambelli Fireworks in the amount of $19,500 for the Labor Day Fest fireworks show on Sunday, September 4.

Citizen Doug Champ spoke out against the funding of the fireworks show, saying the money would be better used to support or enhance the Parks Department, “You could buy 50 recycled park benches for $385. You can create a tree and shrubbery specimen botanical garden for people to look and observe various species that can grow in our zone with potential use in their property. You can buy 19 full-sized picnic tables at a thousand dollars a pop.”

Champ also cited negative environmental impact caused by fireworks as additional reasons for not funding the program.

Dolce said he understands that fireworks are expensive but it’s not something the city does on a regular basis, “People enjoy it. They’ve come to expect it, especially on Labor Day. A lot of people, that’s the highlight of the day for them. They go up and picnic. Again, I understand his concerns but I just think it’s one of things where the community.. it’s been three years since they’ve really had a chance to celebrate. And it’s not something we do every day and we try to do the best we can to make it as safe as possible.”

Dolce said the funding is coming from the city budget’s Parks Festival line.

Council tabled a resolution to fund the 19A Homeownership program with $750,000 of ARPA monies. Dolce said the Finance Committee had questions that were not answered prior to the voting session and that the resolution will likely be on the September agenda for reconsideration.

Council also approved appointments by Mayor Eddie Sundquist to the Salary Review Commission. Former City Comptrollers Joe Bellitto and Ryan Thompson were named to the advisory group as well as Heather Greenfield, who is the Financial Coordinator for the Jamestown Urban Renewal Agency.

Dolce said he, as Council President, as will have three appointments that he hopes to bring forward in September, “The City Charter requires that we put together a Salary Review Commission every four years to review the salaries of all elected officials. That would be the City Council as well as the Mayor. And then they make a recommendation back to the City Council as to what they think the salaries should be, should they be changed, added, whatever, and then the Council gets to vote on it.”

Any salary changes would not go into effect until January 1, 2024. Dolce added that the Mayor’s salary is $72,000 which hasn’t had an increase since 2008, “If you look at the list of salaried employees in the city, the chief executive officer (mayor) is way down at the bottom below firemen, policemen, and other city workers, so maybe it’s time to look at that. The City Council, it’s been 38 years since there has been an adjustment.”

Council members receive a $5,000 salary with the Council President receiving an additional $1,000 stipend.

Dolce also announced details have been finalized for a city-wide public forum. The event will be held at Christ First United Methodist Church located at 663 Lakeview Avenue at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 14. Dolce said Jamestown Police Chief Tim Jackson will be on hand to discuss and answer questions about public safety with Director of Development Crystal Surdyk also attending to discuss housing concerns. The forum is open to the public.

Jamestown City Council

The Roof, Private Sewer Lateral, Private Water Line Repair/Replacement Program had originally been funded with $750,000. The administration requested an additional $2 million as only 30 applications were able to be approved of the 131 received. City Director of Development Crystal Surdyk had stated at work sessions that the additional funding will make it possible to fund the rest of the applications that met guidelines. The program will not be re-opened for new applicants.

A resolution requesting an additional $1 million in ARPA funds for the Building & Property Infrastructure Improvements program will be considered. Like the roof and sewer repair program, the additional funds will just go toward businesses that have already applied for funding.

Council will also vote on a resolution to fund the 19A Homeownership program with $750,000 using ARPA monies. Under state law, municipalities can take ownership of properties that are vacant and either have one year of unpaid taxes or are subject to an order of condemnation.

Assistant Corporation Counsel Ben Haskins, addressing the Housing Committee, said the funding would be used to rehabilitate those houses, “And selling them to people who, A, reside in them for five years as a owner-occupant; B, during that time pay their taxes on time; and, C, once all the initial code enforcement violations that were written up upon taking title are fixed, that they will ameliorate further code enforcement that arises over that five year period.”

Under new business, Council will vote on a resolution to enter into an agreement with Zambelli Fireworks in the amount of $19,500 for the Labor Day Fest fireworks show on Sunday, September 4. According to the staff report, Collaborative Children’s Solutions, who is organizing this year’s festival, recommended Zambelli’s bid over a lower bid of $14,000 by Young Explosives, saying Young did not have the shell capacity for the type of show the Labor Day Festival Committee requested. The staff report said the funding is coming from the Parks Festival Budget.

City Council will have a work session at 7:00 p.m. in the Police Training Room on the fourth floor of City Hall. The voting session will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on the second floor. The voting session is open to the public and will be livestreamed on jamestownny.gov.

City of Jamestown Assistant Corporation Counsel Ben Haskins and Director of Development Crystal Surdyk presented details about a proposed 19A Home Ownership Program to the City Council Housing Committee on Monday, August 8, 2022.

City Director of Development Crystal Surdyk and Assistant Corporation Counsel Ben Haskins address City Council Housing Committee (August 8, 2022)

City Director of Development Crystal Surdyk and Assistant Corporation Counsel Ben Haskins address City Council Housing Committee (August 8, 2022)

The Jamestown City Council Housing Committee received an update on properties that would be purchased and rehabilitated by the city under the 19A Homeownership Program if Council approves the $750,000 request of American Rescue Plan funds.

Assistant Corporation Counsel Ben Haskins said under state law, municipalities can take ownership of properties that are vacant and either have one year of unpaid taxes or are subject to an order of condemnation, “We have, as you all know, pursued title to numerous houses under the statute. We’ve currently got about 11 of them with another five or six in the wings coming up. And then we’ve got two or three more potentials that we found in the last couple of weeks, just stumbling upon them through complaints and stuff – one on Stowe and one on lower Dearing.”

Haskins said the funding request would go to rehabilitating four houses located on Utica, Baker, Johnson, and North Main Streets, “And selling them to people who, A, reside in them for five years as a owner-occupant; B, during that time pay their taxes on time; and, C, once all the initial code enforcement violations that were written up upon taking title are fixed, that they will ameliorate further code enforcement that arises over that five year period.”

Haskins said the mortgage by the city would be action based, versus money based, where the city can foreclose on the property if the owner doesn’t meet requirements of the program.

He said three of the four properties proposed to be rehabilitated could likely be sold at a profit with the money being used to purchase and rehabilitate other vacant houses in the future. Haskins added the city would contract out for the rehabilitation.

He said once the houses are ready for sale that some will go right to market for anyone to buy with the city working with other non-profits that have first-time home buyer programs for the other properties, “They aren’t going to get them for free. They’re still going to have to make some sort of offer to us, but they’re probably going to be able to get them for below market value in a lot of cases. They’re going to be subject to the same five years and we’re probably going to require them to at least take some sort of online first time homeowner course that we prescribe. Make sure they’re aware of the responsibilities as homeowners, especially as it relates to more nuisance items.”

Director of Development Crystal Surdyk added that the Chautauqua County Land Bank was working on developing a tool lending program to help new homeowners as well. Land Bank Executive Director Gina Paradis had been expected to give a presentation to Council on Monday, but had to reschedule that for the August 22 work session.

Surdyk also relayed to the Housing Committee that the department met with the Real Estate Investor’s Association Monday to begin reviewing three proposed housing ordinances. She said they only got through the public nuisance ordinance with the rental inspection and vacant property registration still needing review at future meetings.

Assistant Corporation Counsel Ben Haskins said one part of the discussion was a clarification on the public nuisance ordinance regarding police action, “In terms of arrests at a premises, if it’s a multi-unit premises, instead of counting, if there’s a 24-unit, and there’s three arrests in separate apartments versus just specifying it’s got to be all within the one unit to constitute a nuisance, I think was our biggest point of discussion, which I thought was pretty fruitful.”

Surdyk said the intention is once all three ordinances are reviewed and revisions are made that the Department of Development will send the revised ordinances to the Real Estate Investor’s Association members for review. She said DOD will then meet again with the full association for a final discussion before it comes to City Council for a vote.