Jamestown City Council voting session (January 30, 2023)

Jamestown City Council has approved a final installment of funds to the Senior Citizen Home Improvement Incentive Program.

The additional $377,528 in American Rescue Plan funds will cover any remaining approved applications that could not be funded due to lack of funds in previous rounds.

The Finance Committee had recommended the previous week using $282,856 in ARP funds to make the program whole based on numbers provided by Assessor Lisa Volpe, but Finance Chair and Council Member at Large Kim Ecklund said those figures were incorrect, “So, last week when we went through this she (Volpe) had estimated a $94,000 savings that she approached to us. When I got the final numbers, in talking to her, in talking to the Acting Comptroller, it was provided in error. So, therefore, it had to go back in to make that the $377,000 to bring this whole so that everybody who applied and was accepted and approved will get the project done.”

Total funding for the Senior Citizen Home Improvement Incentive Program now stands at $1.87 million.

Council also approved using $900,000 in ARP 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.

Ecklund said at this point, $26,230,703 has been spent in ARP funds out the over $28 million received.

A resolution for the City to adopt the New York State Climate Smart Communities Pledge was tabled for more discussion. Ecklund said while the pledge allows the city to apply for certain grants, there were some misunderstandings from the public and council that needed to be cleared up, “And I asked specifically if the legal team had looked at it before we signed anything and they had not. So, just to cover our bases and make sure we’re not locked into something that we can’t get out of, if you will, I would prefer the legal team to look at it.”

Council approved several appointments to boards and commissions from Mayor Eddie Sundquist including appointing Thomas Benson of 141 East Virginia Boulevard to serve on the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities Board. He replaces Tamu Graham-Reinhardt who has resigned. They also approved appointing Reverend Luke Fodor to the Jamestown Community College Board of Trustees. He will fill out the unexpired term of Dr. Lillian Ney who also had resigned.

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.

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 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.

Jamestown City Council voting session (October 24, 2022)

Jamestown City Council has approved the purchase of a new SWAT vehicle.

The $247,516 Bearcat will be paid for using American Rescue Plan funds.

Council President Tony Dolce said the SWAT team has been using regular vehicles for raids and with the number of raids they’re doing on top of the amount of guns on the streets, he said an armored vehicle will be more safe, “And this also gives the Police Department the ability, God forbid if we did have a major shooting, where they can actually rescue people and take them out of a situation in a much safer environment to get them out of there. And also, that vehicle can go through things and get a lot closer and make much safer not only for themselves but for residents.”

Dolce said delivery of the new vehicle is expected to take a year.

Council also approved $1.3 million in grants to seven local businesses through the ARP Business Property and Infrastructure Improvement program. The grants had been approved by the Jamestown Local Development Corporation, but as all the requests were over $100,000, City Council also had to give their approval. The businesses receiving funds for capital improvements include Artone, Colecraft Commercial Furnishings, Dawson Metal, El Greco, International Ordnance, National Wire and Metal Technology, and Shawbucks.

An additional $500,000 of American Rescue Plan funds have been put into the Senior Citizen Home Improvement Incentive Program. This brings the total amount of funding to that program to $1 million. Dolce said Council is looking to fund another round of $500,000 which would satisfy all the applications that met the requirements.

And council approved $8,000 out of the city’s contingency fund for emergency roof repairs at the Fenton History Center. Dolce said the roof had been leaking, “It has reached a point where it’s causing interior damage to the walls and the structure of the building. So this is an emergency stopgap measure to at least repair that part roof. The entire roof, at some point, is going to need to be done. They’re going to be getting bids and quotes on that, so that will be much more money coming down probably in the next few months.”

The Fenton mansion is owned by the City of Jamestown and is, thus, the responsibility of the City to maintain.

Jamestown City Council

The seven resolutions under new business had been approved by the Jamestown Local Development Corporation, but as all the requests were over $100,000, City Council also must give their approval.

The businesses seeking capital improvements grants from the program include:
– El Greco $198,363
– Dawson Metal $198,363
– Artone LLC $192,794
– International Ordnance $198,363
– National Wire and Metal Technology Incorporated $198,363
– Colecraft Commercial Furnishings $198,363
– and Shawbucks $198,363

Council also will vote under new business on adding $500,000 of American Rescue Plan funds to the Senior Citizen Home Improvement Incentive Program. Mayor Eddie Sundquist had 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.

Another item under new business is a resolution to spend $8,000 out of contingency for building roof maintenance at the Fenton History Center.

City Council will hear budget presentations from the Clerk and Treasurer’s Office, Finance, Assessor’s, and Corporation Counsel at a work session scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the fourth floor Police Training Room.

The voting session will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the second floor Council Chambers. The meetings are open to the public and will be livestreamed on jamestownny.gov.

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 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.