Plattsburgh council approves downtown technical-assistance contract, loan-administration agreement and multiple grant applications

At a City of Plattsburgh Common Council meeting, members voted to award a New York Main Street technical-assistance contract, authorize an agreement to have a third party administer the city’s revolving loan fund, approve a feasibility-study award and design/oversight contracts for Safe Routes to School, and authorize grant applications to regional programs.

Councilors said the New York Main Street technical-assistance award will fund feasibility studies for downtown buildings to identify potential façade and interior rehabilitation, space re-use and budget estimates. Staff said building owners will not pay for the feasibility studies; the consultant’s reports will include scopes, floor plans and cost estimates that owners can use to apply for downtown grant funds.

Council discussion also covered a proposed agreement for outside loan administration to speed processing of the city’s revolving loan fund. Staff said the city’s department has limited capacity to intake, underwrite and process loans and expects the partner’s loan-review committee to make recommendations that the council will review before final approval.

Members approved a professional-design and construction-oversight contract for the Oak Street Safe Routes to School corridor; staff said the design contract will document existing conditions, collect traffic and pedestrian counts and produce construction estimates the council can review before final design. Councilors asked about grant match and were told the project is a 50–50 state match and that the capital plan includes an Oak Street line item.

Councilors also authorized an application for a Northern Borders Regional Commission grant for a sewer-feasibility study that staff said would examine hydraulic capacity and potential tie-ins with neighboring Town of Plattsburgh developments. In discussion, staff and councilors said the study will identify where the city could accept additional sanitary flow with minimal system impact, and that final numbers will be coordinated with the DEC and presented back to council for decisions tied to specific developer proposals.

Votes at a glance

- Item 7.92: Authorize NLP to award vehicle (item text not fully specified). Moved: Councilor Gibbs; second: Councilor __ (transcript: second recorded). Roll call: listed councilors voted yes. Outcome: approved.

- Item 7.94: Award technical-assistance RFP for New York Main Street program (contract to Insight Architecture listed in discussion). Moved: Councilor Gibbs; second: Councilor Connolly. Roll call recorded multiple yes votes. Outcome: approved.

- Item 7.95: Authorize agreement with Adirondack Economic/Development (transcript: ADDC/AEDC/AADC references) to administer the city’s revolving loan fund. Moved: Councilor Coney; second: Councilor Gibbs. Outcome: approved.

- Item 7.96: Award feasibility study (Salish/shoreline pier, environmental testing referenced in discussion). Moved: Councilor Gibbs; second: Councilor Allen. Outcome: approved.

- Item 7.97: Award professional design and construction oversight services for the 2022 New York State DEC Safe Routes to School grant (Oak Street corridor). Moved: Councilor __; second: Councilor __ (motion and second recorded). Outcome: approved.

- Item 7.98: Authorize application for Northern Borders Regional Commission grant (regional sewer/BRoC project described in discussion). Moved: Councilor Gibbs; second recorded. Outcome: approved.

- Item 7.99: Renewal of the city’s marine insurance coverage/complex fund. Moved: Councilor Gibbs; second: Councilor Collins. Outcome: approved.

Why it matters

Together the awards and authorizations put consultant studies, design work and outside loan-administration support in motion. Staff said faster loan processing and completed feasibility and design work will make the city more competitive for downtown and state grants and will supply construction estimates and environmental testing results needed before any capital work is undertaken.

What council directed staff to do

- Proceed with the contracted technical-assistance work for downtown feasibility studies so building owners can receive study reports at no cost. - Enter into an agreement with the identified loan-administration partner so that loan underwriting and intake can be handled by the partner’s loan-review committee, with city representation and final approvals reserved to the council. - Begin design and oversight work for Oak Street Safe Routes to School and provide final design and construction estimates back to council prior to construction authorization. - Continue coordinating the Northern Borders sewer feasibility study with the DEC and the Town of Plattsburgh and return to council with findings and recommendations tied to any proposed private developments.

Clarifying details and numbers from the meeting

- Staff said several downtown feasibility studies will be funded by the New York Main Street technical-assistance grant; building owners will not pay for the feasibility studies (staff presentation). - Council discussion referenced a capital-plan line item of $800,000 for Oak Street Safe Routes to School in the 2025 capital plan; staff said that amount is planned but not yet encumbered. - Staff said testing for waterfront/pier concerns discussed as part of a feasibility scope was on the order of $34,000 (approximate figure reported in discussion).

Meeting context

The items passed as part of a package of grants, contracts and administrative authorizations. Councilors asked for timelines and for follow-up reporting to ensure findings (for example, environmental testing and feasibility numbers) are returned to council before implementation decisions.

Ending

Councilors carried the motions by roll call votes and asked staff to bring final reports and construction estimates back before the council’s appropriation or construction approvals.