Jamestown City Council members meet for work session (June 5, 2023)

Costs for the new Central Garage project on Washington Street are currently at $3.9 million.

City Council Public Works Chair Randy Daversa provided that cost update to council at its work session Monday night. He stated at the meeting the project was over budget given that the $2.8 million in funds from a bond had been expended.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said while he didn’t have the exact budget numbers for the Central Garage project, the project itself wasn’t over budget yet, “We knew the costs were going to be high, but they were not going to be as high as the creation of a completely new maintenance building that was upwards, I think, of just under $10 million. So, we’re still looking at a very low amount of funding for this building. We’ve only spent about $3 million, or a little over $3 million, so we just need to get the additional funding to finish it up. The majority of the building is actually completed now. We’re just in the final finishing portions of it.”

Sundquist said what remains to be funded will be bonded for and the city still has $1 million state Financial Restructuring Board (FRB) funds coming in toward the project.

According to a Smart City Capital Investment Program bond presentation by former Mayor Sam Teresi in September 2019, the estimated total cost at that time for a new Central Garage on Crescent Street was $6.9 million. The Teresi Administration estimated that the project would have been paid for using $5.9 million from the Smart Cities bond and $1 million from the State FRB.

Sundquist said the 2019 Smart Cities bond has been closed out, “And so, the project itself was, unfortunately, a 2019 project. With COVID, it stalled for quite a period of time and then we went a different direction. And so, we’ve closed out that bond and we’ve sent that money back and paid it off. So, we just re-bond for it, which is absolutely fine.”

Council member Marie Carrubba commented at Monday’s work session that American Rescue Plan funds should have been used toward this and other capital projects versus going out for new bonds.

Sundquist said that the remaining $1.7 million in APRA funds could be put toward the project or any other projects, but it’s up to Council if they want to go that direction.

Daversa added that former DPW Director Jeff Lehman is still working as the project engineer for the Central Garage project and he will be coming to the City Council June 12 work session to go over further budget details.

John Sellstrom takes oath of office as City of Jamestown’s new Comptroller (July 25, 2022)

Jamestown City Council has approved a new contract with the Jamestown Firefighter’s Union.

This is the second time Council voted on a contract this year after voting down the one presented to them in January.

Council President Tony Dolce said the issue then was that the contract included adding four firefighters to man a second ambulance, “They were removed from that, so now they’re being funded by ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds for those four positions. And so basically, other than that, it is identical to the Police contract that was passed back in January as well. So, we’re glad to have that behind us. I’m sure they are as well. And again, all the different units being under contract, it’s nice to have that out of the way.”

Mayor Eddie Sundquist said the contract with Jamestown Professional Firefighters Association Local 137 would cover January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2024, “They would provide pay raises similar to our Police Department and other bargaining units, providing a 2.5% increase from 2021 to 2023 and a 2.75% increase in 2024. It does provide some additional funding for firefighters to maintain their EMT certification.”

Also in the contract, firefighter’s health insurance contribution rates will raise from 21% for 2021 to 23% for 2022 through 2024.

Council also approved contracts totaling $4.5 million toward the renovation of the new Fleet Maintenance Building.

The new facility will be located on Washington Street in the former Hartley Buick building.

Public Works Director Jeff Lehman stated at the work session before council voted that the project is about $2 million over budget at this point.

Sundquist said construction costs have nearly doubled and tripled with inflation, “We do have (American) Rescue Plan funds that we can use to pay for it, but we want to remind folks that if we were to rebuild or create a completely new garage, we were looking at ten-plus million dollars at this point given inflation and others. So, the fact that we’re still hovering around $4 to $5 million for the rebuild, in addition some of that property was sold to a for-profit business that will have a business on it, I think it was a good result overall.”

Sundquist added the city had received $1 million from the State’s Financial Restructuring Board toward the project and has applied for an $800,000 NYSERDA grant to make it a “green” building, or environmentally friendly. The rest of the project is being funded through a bond approved in 2019.

Council also approved the appointment of John Sellstrom as the City’s new Comptroller.

Sundquist said Sellstrom has been an employee of the Jamestown Urban Renewal Agency for several years, “So he’s been dealing with a lot of different accounting and other financial things across the city, so we’re really excited to bring him on. It is obviously a very large position to take on. We’ve been very lucky to have our former comptrollers, both Ryan Thompson and Joe Bellitto, step in to provide some training and support. And we’re still actively looking for a deputy comptroller to provide additional support for John.”

Sellstrom replaces Ryan Thompson, who resigned as Comptroller on July 8 to take a job in the private sector.

Sam Teresi presented his $13.9 million Smart City Capital Investment Program to members of the Jamestown City Council during the Sept. 9, 2019 work session at city hall.

JAMESTOWN – Two of the three candidates for mayor of Jamestown say they support a recently unveiled proposal to borrow up to $12.9 million to help pay for a variety of capital investment projects in the city.

On Monday Jamestown mayor Sam Teresi and other city officials presented the Smart City Capital Investment Program – a $13.9 million plan that involves addressing needs with city buildings including City Hall and the Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Town of Poland; infrastructure like water mains, sewer mains, and the city storm water system; and equipment and vehicles in Jamestown Fire Department and the Department of Public Works.

• READ DETAILS OF THE PLAN

The plan primarily focuses on borrowing $12.9 million, with another $1 million coming from the State Financial Restructuring Board.

All three candidates for the 2019 mayoral election where in attendance for the presentation, and two of them say that at first review, it’s something they would support.

• LISTEN TO CANDIDATES FULL INTERVIEWS ON COMMUNITY MATTERS

Eddie Sundquist

“I really do believe that these are investments that are absolutely necessary for the infrastructure of our city. I’m glad to see that and I think that we need these things going forward,” Democratic Candidate Eddie Sundquist told WRFA earlier this week. “But, more importantly as the next mayor, I’m excited to make sure that we have even more investments in our city. Especially those that utilize technology to help us manage the city even better.

Republican Candidate David Wilfong also told us the only thing he would want to take a closer look at is a proposal to use up to $4 million to pay for the construction of a new central garage for the Department of Public Works.

“As you start taking a look at the list, when we start talking about sanitary lines, water main improvements and structural improvements to the city, these are things that as a city government most likely we have got to do. There is no question about that,” Wilfong said. “The only thing I saw That I think we could maybe reach out to other municipalities is the new central maintenance facility. I wonder if there might be an opportunity to look at some shared services there.”

Not all mayoral candidates are in immediate support of the proposal. Libertarian candidate and current city councilman at large Andy Liuzzo said he wants to take a closer look at the plan, but right now he is reluctant to support a plan that would put a financially struggling city into further debt.

David Wilfong

“We don’t have any money. We’re not generating any money. And we have contracts coming up. And we’re going to take on debt, roughly $13 million, for the next 25 to 30 years. So we’re going to be burdening our children and grandchildren with debt that maybe we don’t have to do right now,” Liuzzo said.

According to Mayor Teresi, the investment program could result in a net savings for the city of as much as $450,000 in its annual operating budget, with another $150,000 being saved in the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities budget. Liuzzo said he doesn’t think the savings will be that significant.

“It’s spread out over 20 or 25 years. So by the time you buy the equipment this time and you get the loan paid off 20 to 25 years from now, aren’t we looking at new equipment? Aren’t we looking at trying to replace what’s 20 years old today? I think we need a more thorough look at what we are saving and what we are not saving,” Liuzzo said.

Part of the proposal not only involves saving money, but also calls for some revenue being generated by renting or leasing out equipment and even services, such as repairs in the new central garaged. Wilfong said he’s not sold on the revenue side of the plan, but does support the areas that show a savings – regardless of the size.

“It’s spread out over 20 or 25 years. So by the time you buy the equipment this time and you get the loan paid off 20 to 25 years from now, aren’t we looking at new equipment? Aren’t we looking at trying to replace what’s 20 years old today? I think we need a more thorough look at what we are saving and what we are not saving.

Andy Liuzzo

Sundquist said that he would need to further look into the aspects of the savings numbers to know for sure if they are realistic or not, but also said that more important than even the savings is improving safety and service to city residents, and that’s something that could be accomplished through the proposed program.

“I think having any type of savings is incredibly important, especially when we look at the cost of some of these items we are trying to do. But more importantly, I think the investments that are trying to be done are absolutely necessary at this point. So I understand the savings. That is absolutely fantastic for the residents of the city, but things like replacing a fire truck is incredibly important to the safety of everyone here,” Sundquist said.

The Smart City Capital Investment Program will be reviewed and finalized in the coming weeks by the Board of Public Utilities and City Council and the approval to set out to borrow as much as $12.9 million could come before the council by its Sept. 30 voting session.

According to an audit of the 2018 city budget, Jamestown is at its constitutional taxing limit, meaning it couldn’t raise taxes any higher even if it wanted to. However, the city is only at 29% of its constitutional borrowing limit, meaning there is room for the city to take on more debt. The city currently owes about $14.27 million in debt, with the last of that debt scheduled to be paid off in 2035.

On Monday night the council voted unanimously to accept the $1.5 million in state grant funding to help pay for the voluntary buyout program, which involves the city offering a buyout to retirees 65 and older who are currently enrolled in the city’s healthcare plan.

Under the terms of the program, the city would provide $17,000 each to enrollees in the city healthcare plan between the ages of 65-69, $12,000 for those between the age of 70 and 74, $8,000 for those between the age of 75 and 79, and $3,000 for anyone 80 and over. Currently those enrollees pay a monthly individual premium to the city (between 17 and 20 percent of total insurance policy), but that would be waived if they opted into the healthcare buyout program. If they enroll in the new program, the retirees would also be required to leave the city healthcare plan and use healthcare plans being offered by one of two local companies – Northwest Financial Services or Arcade Financial Service, both operating out of Jamestown.

According to Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi, about 300 of the 1500 members of the healthcare plan would be eligible for the buyout. He said that if all the $1.5 million is utilized, it would result in an annual savings for the city of $600,000.

The $1.5 million comes from the New York State department of State and is provided by a one-time grant through the New York Financial Restructuring Board, which has been working with the city to try and find ways to offset growing financial challenges in recent years.

Teresi said currently, annual healthcare costs for the city are about $2.2 million. The buyout plan could reduce that down to $1.6 million.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, a representative from one of the two firms contracting with the city did offer some concern with how the city was trying to address its growing health insurance costs.

Arcade Senior Services president Tim D’Angelo said the buyout is only a short-term fix for the city’s growing healthcare costs, because it’s only a one-time shot of money. He said he could help the city identify a way to reduce healthcare costs over the long-term.

Teresi said that currently the city has contracts it has to adhere to with its collective bargaining units regarding how healthcare is offered to those workers and retirees. However, he added that he would be willing to talk further with D’Angelo to learn more about how the costs could be reduced for the city.

Monday night Mayor Sam Teresi and city finance director Joe Bellitto went over the details of the buyout program, which would provide a various levels of funding for Medicare eligible retirees to cover their share of insurance premium costs until that money is depleted, at which time the retiree would then have to pay any future premium costs out of pocket.

According to the plan, the city would provide $17,000 each to enrollees in the city healthcare plan between the ages of 65-69, $12,000 for those between the age of 70 and 74, $8,000 for those between the age of 75 and 79, and $3,000 for anyone 80 and over.  Currently those enrollees pay a monthly individual premium to the city (between 17 and 20 percent of total insurance policy), but that would be waived if they opted into the healthcare buyout program. If they enroll in the new program, the retirees would also be required to leave the city healthcare plan and use healthcare plans being offered by one of two local companies – Northwest Financial Services or Arcade Financial Service, both operating out of Jamestown.

According to Teresi, retirees who sign up for the program would benefit by not having to pay any out-of-pocket expense as long as they had money remaining from their allocation. The city would also benefit by no longer having to incur costs associated with having the retirees on the city healthcare plan. If all the $1.5 million is utilized by retirees, it would result in an estimated savings to the city by as much as $600,000 each year.

If approved by the city council, all eligible retirees will be notified of the program, with a series of meetings also being provided in the following weeks so the retirees can get more details before deciding if they want to utilize the funding.  The enrollment will be on a first come, first serve basis until all the $1.5 million is allocated.

the $1.5 million is being made available to the city through the state Financial Restructuring Board.

On Monday night, Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi updated Jamestown City Council members on recommendations from the board – which was created in 2013 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to assist municipalities with identifying ways to reduce the cost of government.

• READ THE FULL REPORT

Teresi said that the board has returned with a five point plan of action for the city, which includes a financial contribution from the state along with several recommendations. According to the mayor, a total of $250,000 will be given to Jamestown to help payoff a $3 million bonding initiative approved by the city council in January. The money from the bond initiative will be used to purchase several pieces of DPW equipment, along with several capital improvements.

During Monday night’s work session, the mayor said the state has agreed to chip in a portion of funding to help pay off the bond, primarily because the money is being used for energy-efficient projects.

Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi

“The state’s position is that they see that as a restructuring initiative because it has a long-ranging, recurring savings value to the community as we change out less energy efficient equipment and replace it with more energy efficient equipment. So $250,000 cash will be allocated to the city that we can use in the coming year to apply against the debt service for that latest round of borrowing that the council approved,” Teresi said.

In addition to the $250,000 award, the restructuring board’s action plan also made several other recommendations. They include:

• The development of a transition plan to converts city street lights to more energy-efficient bulbs;
• Encouraging the state legislature to go forward with the city’s request to develop a Parking Fine Adjudication Board (Tribunal);
• Working with neighboring municipalities to develop other consolidation and shared service projects that would result in lower costs and better efficiencies;
• Continuing the effort to finalize a Police Consolidation Study between the Jamestown Police Department and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.

The mayor said this action plan was really just the initial phase of the board’s involvement with the city, and it board  may return with other recommendations in the future. He said that partly hinges on his Government Efficiency Task Force, which is currently working on identifying various cost savings measures that can be taken up by both the city and/or Board of public utilities.

Any municipality that participates in the State’s Financial Restructuring Board program is eligible to receive a maximum of $5 million in state aid and the mayor said more funding may find its way to Jamestown, depending on how the city proceeds with continuing to identify cost-saving projects. Participation with the board is voluntary and the city is not required to follow through on any or all of the recommendations that are made.

Mayor Teresi will provide more details on the restructuring board’s recommendations later this week when he appears on WRFA’s Community Matters public affairs program, airing at 6 p.m. Thursday.

According to a report in today’s Jamestown  Post-Journal, Mayor Sam Teresi announced Monday night that the city has been selected to be reviewed by a state Financial Restructuring Board.

The state board was set up last year by the Governor’s office to assist municipalities by offering advice on how to streamline government and reduce expenses. In December, the city requested assistance from the board in December and the mayor says he recently received word that the board will work with Jamestown.

The board will begin reviewing Jamestown operations during the next few months and will provide recommendations later this year. The city is under no obligation to follow any of the recommendations, although there is some financial incentive from the state should all recommendations implemented.

On Tuesday, the governor announced a plan that would help ailing upstate governments receive loans, grants and other help from state coffers to fix local budgets. However, there is one catch – the local government’s would have to agree to follow the advice of a state-created financial planning board. That advice could include making hard and unpopular decisions, such as shrinking services, laying off staff, consolidating with neighboring governments and cutting elected official positions.

This new Financial Restructuring Board would not have the power to force local governments to seek advice, restructure or consolidate if local leaders choose not to participate. And failing to participate would not jeopardize the millions of dollars the state already shares with localities, called Aid and Incentives for Municipalities – also known as AIM funding.  But by failing to seek help from the panel, localities could lose out on money available to other cities in similar financial crises.

On Tuesday, representatives from the New York State Association of Counties and the New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials endorsed Cuomo’s plan.

Cuomo said he would introduce legislation creating the board this week. He said he wants lawmakers to act on it before their session ends on June 20.