Council trims recreation bond, school to use reserves for gym repairs; Eldridge Field plans still unsettled

Vice President Eric Bridal brought the Jamestown Recreation bond back to the special budget workshop; the original package proposed $2.6 million and the council had previously agreed to advance $1.7 million as a starting point.

Bridal and Town Administrator Ed Mello reported that school leaders and town staff met to find lower‑cost, near‑term fixes for the Lawn Avenue gym and that the school superintendent’s office offered to use about $100,000 from the district’s capital reserve to replace bleachers, address locker rooms and improve adjacent bathrooms as a stopgap. Mello said those school investments would reduce the recreation bond item by $200,000 to about $1.5 million if councilors accept that approach.

Why it matters: The gym work was a visible and politically sensitive item in the recreation package. The council and school agreed a near‑term, locally‑funded fix for high‑priority items (bleachers, locker rooms, bathrooms) would allow the school to prepare a comprehensive plan — including the Van Buren planning grant the superintendent has sought — before committing bond funds to any larger renovation like a floor replacement or HVAC work.

School funding and reimbursement

Mello said the school could proceed with roughly $100,000 from its capital without adding to this year’s borrowing request, and noted that the district may recover a portion of certain expenditures through state reimbursement (35 percent cited by staff for eligible work). Several councilors asked the school to review its available fund balance and consider drawing on it to reduce the school appropriation increase that factors into the town’s final levy calculations.

Eldridge Field and other recreation items

Councilors debated how much of Eldridge Field and related work should be included in an aspirational recreation bond. Proposals under discussion included field renovation (removing existing poor material, improving drainage and regrading), protective netting, a pavilion and new restrooms or concession storage; town and association volunteers have previously funded some onsite items. Estimates discussed for full field renovation referenced an older study (circa 2016) that suggested a six‑figure cost for soil, drainage and regrading; one participant said that $190,000 was an earlier estimate for basic field work and that the modern cost could be higher.

Some councilors favored packaging smaller maintenance and equipment needs into one bond question so voters see a single maintenance package; others said residents should be able to vote on large, higher‑cost recreational projects separately. The Jamestown Soccer Association and other user groups were identified as likely fundraising partners for amenities such as netting and equipment.

Outcome and next steps

Councilors indicated they would accept the school’s plan to use $100,000 of school capital for the bleachers/locker room/bathroom stopgap, reducing the town’s recreation bond line by $200,000 to $1.5 million. Eldridge Field improvements and bike‑path planning remain unresolved; councilors asked staff to scope permitting and planning needs, gather updated cost estimates and return with a recommended packaging of recreation items for the financial town meeting.

Ending: The council asked staff and the school superintendent to finalize a short‑term answer for the gym repairs and to return with revised bond language and cost estimates for Eldridge Field and the broader recreation package before placing items on the warrant.