Jamestown City Council voting session (June 26, 2023)
Jamestown City Council has approved moving forward with new lighting for the North Main Street Viaduct.
Council passed an amendment by Council member at large Kim Ecklund to only fund $45,712.50 of phase one of the project, which is the installation of lighting. The resolution had proposed using up to $150,000 in American Rescue Plan funds for new lighting, artwork, and seating under the viaduct.
In the work session prior to the voting session Monday, Ecklund said the resolution had not been passed through committee, “We all had concerns about the entire scope of the project and the availability of ARPA funding in its totality. I still do not have a complete sheet of really accurate information about what has expended and what has been allocated for ARPA.”
Council member at large Jeff Russell said the safety lighting is absolutely necessary given recent incidents in the viaduct area, “Mr. Jochum, across the street right by the viaduct, he had a burglary not too long ago and a lot of damage, property stolen. I talked to a business owner down in the (Brooklyn) Square yesterday. He had the front window of his business smashed out by an individual. I believe there’s going to be a warrant forthcoming for that individual. But, it’s obviously a major problem area underneath that viaduct.”
Council President Tony Dolce said council wasn’t quite sure what the next phase of the project would look like, “There was a number of different concepts and designs and we just wanted to go with one phase at a time. I think we all agree that lighting and security were the number one priorities there. And we had that $45,000.. it was just a little bit over $39,000, we left a few thousand dollars for contingencies in case there’s other things they run into there.”
Dolce said other phases will be looked at later by Council.
Council also approved an update to the resolution that authorizes the city to hire eight new firefighters using $1.8 million in federal funds.
Dolce said the resolution added the law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King as the outside legal counsel, “We’ve worked with them before. And the positives to using that firm is that they are familiar with the SAFER grant, they’re familiar with the Jamestown contracts, police and fire they’ve worked with. So, the leg work is pretty well done already. So, they know the players, they know the people to contact, they have a good working relationship, and so we wanted to try to make it as soon as possible and just make the t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted and get that moving forward as soon as possible.”
Dolce said the Fire Department’s union still needs to agree to the agreement and he hopes that will be wrapped up by August.
Also at Monday’s council meeting, the Mayor’s message included that a new Deputy Comptroller has been hired. Carol Malek starts today in that position.
According to Mayoral Executive Assistant Zach Altschuler, she will be working with former Comptroller Joe Bellitto to get up to speed as the city starts its budget process.
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