Jamestown City Council

The program was funded with $500,000 in American Rescue Plan monies in June 2022.

Department of Development Director Crystal Surdyk said there are changes being made to how the program will operate, “One of which is, we did add some income limits which is 125% of area median income and then we sort of restructured it so there’s still a 10% match requirement for homeowners to apply. It’s up to $2,500 in either direct payment to a contractor or they can pay for it and then get a rebate.”

Surdyk said the Department of Development is taking over administering the program from the Assessor’s Office. She said it will be rolled out once Council signs off on the program structure.

Jamestown City Council

The Council Finance Committee had recommended using an additional $282,856 in American Rescue Plan funds to cover applications to the Senior Citizen Home Improvement Incentive program that weren’t funded initially.

However, the resolution filed under new business would allocate an additional $377,528. The resolution states the funds would come from the ARP’s “Healthy Communities and Neighborhoods fund.” Council member at Large Kim Ecklund had stated that council members did not want money to be allocated away from a Residential Home Improvement Incentive Program that had been funded with $500,000 last June. That program has not been set up yet by the City Assessor’s Office.

Council also will vote to use $900,000 in American Rescue Plan funds for water main replacements and street restoration on Roland Road and Juliet Street. The Department of Public Works and Jamestown Board of Public Utilities recommended the work be done after multiple water main breaks on both streets over the decades.

In addition, Council will vote under new business on a five-year Animal Holding facility contract with Pick of the Litter in Falconer. The staff report said Pick of the Litter was the only entity that submitted a proposal. The contract would pay the agency $2,800 a month for board fees and/or euthanasia for 360 dogs per year. Upon receiving the 361st dog, Pick of the Litter will charge $90 per dog for board fees and/or euthanasia.

The voting session will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of the second floor of City Hall.

It is open to the public and members of the public may also participate remotely in the meeting via videoconferencing by requesting a link from City Clerk Jennifer Williams at (716) 483-7612 or clerk@jamestownny.gov in advance of the meeting.

The meeting also will be livestreamed at https://www.jamestownny.gov.

City Assessor Lisa Volpe addresses City Council Finance Committee (January 23, 2023)

A program that helps senior citizens make improvements to their homes may get another round of funds from Jamestown City Council.

Finance Chair Kim Ecklund is proposing using an additional $282,856 in American Rescue Plan funds to cover applications to the Senior Citizen Home Improvement Incentive program that weren’t funded initially.

City Assessor Lisa Volpe said 303 applications were received for the program last summer with 257 being approved for funds. The total for approved requests comes to $1.87 million with $1.5 million approved in ARP funding by Council.

Ecklund said the Finance Committee‘s recommendation is to fund the remaining amount needed, “The committee is recommending not, again not as we’ve stated multiple times to use the Residential Improvement program and to move forward with that program as it is with the $500,000 for those residents who have not met the other criteria in all the other programs. And to take that $282,856.20 somewhere out of the unappropriated funds of the ARPA. And hopefully not out of the lost revenue.”

Ecklund added that $24,953,174 in American Rescue Plan funds have been allocated so far of the over $28 million received by the City.

Jamestown City Council work session (January 9, 2023)

Jamestown City Council members are having some confusion over how much funding was approved for the Senior Citizen Housing Improvement Incentive Program versus the actual need.

Housing Committee Chair Marie Carrubba said that it was reported by City Assessor Lisa Volpe that 302 applications were approved for a total of $1.878 million, but the program was only allocated $1.5 million.

While the Assessor’s Office built in a $40,000 cushion to the program, Carrubba said projects were coming in under budget which means any funds leftover could be used toward applications that couldn’t be funded the first time around.

Council member at Large Jeff Russell said he thought there was enough funding for the program to take care of all approved applications and asked where the mistake was made, “We sat in this room on tape and we were told that if this was approved that the program would be fully funded. So now we’re going back and we’re telling citizens and senior citizens that, ‘Oh, sorry, we were wrong on our numbers.’ So I guess I’m asking, where were we wrong and who was wrong on these numbers?”

Council initially approved the Senior Citizen Home Improvement Incentive program with $500,000 of American Rescue Plan funds in June 2022 with an additional $500,000 in ARP funds approved in October. Council then approved two resolutions totaling $500,000 in ARP monies at it November voting session.

Mayor Eddie Sundquist said city administration had proposed moving $500,000 from the Home Improvement Incentive Program that also was created in June 2022. The latter would have effectively de-funded that program. Council opted not to go that route.

Finance Chair Kim Ecklund expressed concern that Council had been told all applications that met the criteria of the program could be funded if Council approved an additional $1 million to the original funding, “In my email from Lisa (Volpe), it states there are still 63 projects left unfunded. And so, even though you’re telling them it’s $300,000, 63 projects is not $300,000, so I have a whole conglomerate of numbers that don’t make sense.”

Sundquist said he would meet with Volpe and get back to Council by this past Wednesday, but as of press time, Council members were still waiting for that update.

Jamestown City Council work session (September 12, 2022)

Jamestown City Council is looking at how to increase funding to a Senior Citizen Home Improvement program while not completely removing funding for another home improvement program.

Two resolutions being considered would add an additional $500,000 in American Rescue Plan funds to the Senior Citizen Program and move $500,000 from the Home Improvement Incentive Program. The latter would effectively de-fund the Home Improvement Incentive Program.

Mayor Eddie Sundquist said there had been over $1.8 million in requests for the senior citizen program, which had initially been funded with $500,000 of ARPA funds. He said the Home Improvement Incentive Program, which would provide cash rebates to anyone who made over $5,000 in repairs to their home, hadn’t been opened yet

Finance Chair and Council member at Large Kim Ecklund expressed concern over not taking care of senior citizens and neglecting another group, “And making sure that we’re covering everybody and not just one or two groups with ARPA funding. So the lower-income and seniors is great, but we’re missing that middle group who maybe it’s a struggling family, a single parent, doesn’t meet all those other needs. They have a job but they could use some incentives so I think, that I want to be sure of.”

Councilmember Marie Carrubba agreed, saying that people under 62 and not disabled can’t be ignored.

Council members requested an updated application list from City Comptroller John Sellstrom for the Senior Citizen Program.

A local law on the proposed redistricting of City Council Boundaries passed through committee. 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. According to Mayor Sundquist, the local law must sit for 30 days and have a public hearing. Council will likely approve the redistricting at its October voting session.

Council President Tony Dolce said due to a number of council members and staff who will be absent, the September 19 work session for City Council has been canceled. The next meeting of the Jamestown City Council will be their voting session on Monday, September 26.

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 (June 27, 2022)

Jamestown City Council tabled a resolution on a shared services agreement with Jamestown Public Schools about plowing sidewalks, saying more discussion was needed.

Council President Tony Dolce said council members wanted to further discuss the positions that would be added, “This has nothing to do with the school system. We’re very appreciative of the fact that they’ve been willing to purchase the equipment and the maintenance agreements for those. But it’s a huge amount of money to commit for two full-time employees with benefits. So there was some concern and discussion as to whether we would want to look at possibly using seasonal or part-time employees versus full-time employees.”

Dolce said making the two part-time positions seasonal may need to be a union discussion, “Different than the summer help which is more scheduled. In the winter, we’d have to have some different parameters cause as the snow goes, the timing, the number of snowstorms that we actually have, and other things that they could be doing during that time. So, there’s just a lot of things to tie up and how that would look financially as well as how that would look structurally within the department.”

Dolce added the agreement would be discussed again at the July 18 work session with an anticipated vote in July.

Council did approve the two home improvement incentive programs for senior citizens and homeowners that would be administered through the Assessor’s Office. Each was funded with $500,000 of American Rescue Plan money.

A contract with the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy to remove the invasive Tree of Heaven from the banks of the Chadakoin River also passed. Council Member Brent Sheldon, who is the council representative on the Riverfront Management Council, said the RMC also supported the resolution and was in support of the river clean-up the CWC had done earlier this year.

Council also approved the Annual Action Plan for the 2022 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Program. The plan for use of $1,542,257 in federal monies will now be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Jamestown City Council

The Public Hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers regarding the FY 2022 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Program. The annual action plan, once approved, will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Jamestown received $1,144,750 in Community Development Block Grant funds and $397,507 in HOME program funds. The funding is for Community Planning and Development activities, ranging from the development of affordable housing to expanding economic opportunities for people with low and moderate incomes.

Council also will vote on two programs, totaling $1 million, that will grant funds to senior citizens and homeowners for improvements to houses in the city. The program would be funded through American Rescue Plan Act monies.

Council also will vote on a shared services agreement with Jamestown Public Schools to share services, purchase, exchange or lend materials or equipment which shall promote and assist the City of Jamestown in the plowing of sidewalk routes to schools. The agreement shall be from August 1, 2022 to December 31, 2026.

The contract with Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy to remove Tree of Heaven along the banks of the Chadakoin River for a cost of $17,760 will be considered.

And Council will vote to suspend hiring freeze to hire a new Comptroller to replace current Comptroller Ryan Thompson, who is leaving City Government for a job in the private sector.

Under new business, Council will vote on a resolution accepting the donation of a Jamestown welcome sign by the Jamestown Noon Rotary and Rotary Club of Jamestown Community Service Fund, Inc. The sign will be constructed at the corner of 1351 North Main Street. The approximate value of the sign is $65,000.

The work session begins at 6:30 p.m in the fourth floor Police Training Room with the voting session starting at 7:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on the second floor of city hall. The meetings are open to the public with the public hearing and voting session livestreamed on jamestownny.gov

Jamestown City Council

The two resolutions were first discussed at Council’s May 16 work session. The Senior Citizen Home Improvement Incentive Program would target homeowners who are currently receiving or would qualify for the Aged Exemption. The second proposed rebate program is a Residential Home Improvement Incentive Program for all other homeowners and landlords with properties that contain three or less units. Council members had requested additional guidelines be added to the programs.

Council also will review a resolution to install six surveillance cameras on utility poles that look like electrical transformers. $50,600 in ARP funds would go toward four cameras with $25,300 in Federal drug seizure funds going to the other two. The purchase would also require a monthly data plan of $37.99 per camera for a total of $227.94. This expense would be paid out of the City of Jamestown IT budget.

A resolution to hire a recruitment firm to find a replacement for Department of Public Works Director Jeff Lehman is on the agenda.

The city is proposing contracting with Pracademic Partners for $15,000 to hire a Deputy Director of Public Works/Professional Engineer who would take over as Director when Lehman retires in Spring 2023. Whoever is hired would also be expected to establish residency in the City.

The staff report cites the recruitment is needed due to “the complex nature of the position, the lack of local candidates, and the importance of the position.”

There are no internal candidates for the job and an initial job advertisement did not find a suitable candidate pool.

Funding would come from the contingency account.

The Public Safety Committee will act on several special event application permits including a Juneteenth Movie Night to be held at the National Comedy Center on June 17, a Hello Summer event on June 24 on Lafayette Street, a Christmas in July event at Diethrick Park July 22 and 23, and the Downtown Cruise-In set for August 12.

An informational report by Lisa Schmidtfrerick-Miller will be presented before the Housing Committee as well.

The Housing Committee meets at 6:45 p.m. with other committees meeting at 7:00 p.m. on the fourth floor of City Hall. The full work session begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Police Training Room on the fourth floor of city hall. All meetings are open to the public and the full work session will be livestreamed on jamestowny.gov.

Executive Assistant Zach Altschuler addresses City Council on Home Improvement rebate programs (May 16, 2022)

The City is proposing two additional home improvement programs that would be funded with $1 million of American Rescue Plan funds.

Mayoral Executive Assistant Zach Altschuler presented a proposal to City Council members Monday night on two programs that he says could be implemented quickly and ran out of the Assessor’s Office.

Altschuler said the Senior Citizen Home Improvement Incentive Program would target homeowners who are currently receiving or would qualify for the Aged Exemption, “That is you own or live in your home, and live in your home, excuse me, for more than one year and your total income including social security is less than or equal to $22,000 for County tax or $19,000 for City and School tax. This would be up to $10,000 in documented repairs and improvements. And that would receive a dollar for dollar rebate check.”

Altschuler said those who receive or qualify for Enhanced STAR could receive a rebate check for 90% of the total cost up to $10,000 in documented repairs or improvements. He added that homeowners must acquire all necessary permits to be eligible.

Altschuler said the second proposed rebate program is a Residential Home Improvement Incentive Program, “That is for all other homeowners and landlords with properties that contain three or less units. And we’ve included a chart which is just a suggested rebate amount, based on the amount of improvements here. This would be for city-wide residents. We’ve heard from council members that they would like to see some programs that everyone can access.”

Altschuler added that homeowners may qualify for the existing Property Tax Abatement exemption. Each home improvement proposal would be funded with $500,000 of ARP monies.

Council members requested additional guidelines for applying to the program, especially for funding for landlords. Discussion on the programs is expected to continue at a future council work session.