WRFA’s Anthony Merchant talks with local artist Molly Strong about her mural project on the Spring Street parking garage in Jamestown. They also talk influences, creative process and other outlets of creativity Molly has.
www.mollystrongart.com/
www.instagram.com/mollystrongart/

Jamestown City Council

The proposed hiring is part of public safety investments announced by administration and members of the City Council Public Safety Committee last week. The three police officers would be part of a Gun Violence Unit and the four firefighters would man a second ambulance to address increased EMS calls.

The total cost to the city through 2026 is estimated to be $3,258,000; which includes health benefits. The figure is based on the assumption that the police officers would be hired June 1 of this year with the firefighters being hired by August 1, 2022.

Comptroller Ryan Thompson will report on first quarter sales tax revenues, which were 10.8% above first quarter receipts for 2021.

The City received $1,826,608 for first quarter of this year, which is 22.5% of the amount budgeted for 2022.

The Public Safety Committee will review special event permit applications for Jamestown Pride Fest scheduled for Saturday, June 11th and for the Yassou Festival on June 17 through 18.

There also will be a discussion on parking ramps. The staff report said the discussion will center on the city’s need of parking control equipment to operate at the Cherry Street and Spring Street parking ramps. The report said the existing equipment is 28 years old and has been very difficult to service and maintain. It further stated that the new equipment should offer a financial payback in reduced staffing and better collection and accountability.

The City Council committee meetings start at 6:45 p.m. with the Housing Committee followed by other committee meetings at 7:00 p.m. The full City Council 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 streamed on jamestownny.gov.

The City received a $5,000 grant from Art Services, Inc. for this project as well as provide a point of entry to designing a dedicated public art platform for Jamestown.

Applications will be accepted between May 1 and 4:00 p.m., May 15, 2022. Late submissions will not be accepted. The selected artist will be announced no later than May 31, 2022.

Two informational site visits will be held at 2:30 p.m., Friday, April 29 and at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 4.

For more information, contact City Principal Planner Ellen Shadle at 716-483-7657. Information is also available online at jamestownny.gov/public-art/

Jamestown City Council

One resolution is to allocate $1.227 million for a Rental Rehabilitation Program. The funding is coming through the American Rescue Plan Act for jurisdictions that qualified for HOME Investment Partnerships Program allocations. This funding is in addition to what the City received in American Rescue Plan funding. A public hearing on the HOME-ARP Allocation plan will be held Monday, March 28.

Two resolutions focus on the Spring Street Parking Ramp with one using bond monies to spent $410,000 to modernize the elevator. The other resolution would be to accept a $5,000 grant from Art Services Inc. through the New York Council for the Arts for the beautification of the ramp.

Council also will review a resolution to spend $232,300 to purchase materials for a pre-engineered metal building that will be constructed on the site of the new Fleet Maintenance Facility on Washington Street. The funding comes from a state grant received in 2019.

Under American Rescue Plan funded projects, a resolution will be presented to use $500,000 in ARP funds for the West Third Street Redesign project. The initial project cost estimate was $479,605 and the resolution’s amount is meant to build in a contingency for the project. The costs include removal and replacement of driveway aprons, sidewalks, new lighting, new tree plantings, as well as landscaping the terrace.

Another ARP funded project resolution would authorize spending $185,000 to purchase a salt brine deicing system. The staff report said this system could save the city up to 10%, or over $40,000, on the City salt budget.

And council will review a resolution that would use $100,000 in ARP funds to create a Sidewalk Replacement Rebate Program. The City would offer $6 a square foot, which is an additional $3 per square feet over the normal sidewalk rebate, to replace tree damaged sidewalks. Homeowners would submit an application for the program and would be reimbursed in a similar fashion to the current sidewalk rebate program.

Public Safety Committee also will review a block party application from the James Prendergast Library as well as special event permit applications from Grow Jamestown Garden Fair Earth Day Event, Gold Star Memorial Day weekend event, and Whirlybird Festival. Public Safety also will continue a discussion on fireworks.

City Council Committee meetings start at 6:45 with the full work session being held at 7:30 p.m. in the Police Training Room on the fourth floor of City Hall.