Council advances lead-service-line project items but holds $14 million bond ordinance pending supermajority

The Rochester City Council on July 20 approved professional services agreements and a grant appropriation to advance the city’s lead service line replacement work but declined to approve a related $14 million bond ordinance because the ordinance requires a supermajority vote the council did not have.

Council President Miguel A. Melendez Jr. presented the People, Parks and Public Works Committee’s recommendations, which included Introductory Number 2-69 (professional services agreement related to the lead service line replacement project) and Introductory Number 2-70 (grant agreement and appropriation under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for federal fiscal year 2024). The council voted in favor of both items.

Introductory Number 2-71, a bond ordinance authorizing the issuance of $14,000,000 in bonds to finance a portion of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law lead service line replacement project (fiscal year 2024), was not taken for a final vote. President Melendez and council staff explained that the ordinance requires a supermajority, and because only five council members were present the necessary supermajority threshold was not met; the item was therefore held.

Council members approved the professional services agreement and the grant-appropriation items on voice votes; the bond ordinance will remain on the agenda until a future meeting when sufficient council membership is present to meet the legal voting threshold.

The committee also moved and the council approved other infrastructure and street maintenance funding items at the July 20 meeting, while several other projects requiring supermajority bond votes were similarly held.

The public record and committee report list project-specific actions and grant sources; the council did not adopt the bond issuance at the July 20 session.