Jamestown council approves routine audits, equipment purchases, HUD amendment and multiple appointments

The Jamestown City Council on April 28 approved a series of resolutions covering routine audits, appointments, procurement for the Department of Public Works, bond payments and a submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The council voted to approve appointments to the Veterans Memorial Commission, reappointing Tommy Collado for a term expiring Dec. 31, 2027 and accepting the nomination of Russell Bonfiglio. The mayor’s nominations were placed on the floor, the council suspended the rules to consider them and then approved the appointments during roll call.

Councilman Faulkner introduced a resolution authorizing payment of the regular audit; the council approved it by roll call. The body also authorized the mayor to enter an excess stop‑loss insurance agreement with Highmark Life Insurance Company of New York covering June 1–Dec. 31, 2025, to preserve stop‑loss coverage while the city’s employee contract situation remains in transition.

The council authorized attendance for corporation counsel and paralegal Tanya Taber at the New York State Public Employer Labor Relations Association annual training conference in Saratoga Springs in July 2025. The council also passed a resolution directing the mayor to submit a significant amendment to the FY2021–23 annual action plans to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) concerning the city’s CDBG and HOME entitlement programs.

On procurement and equipment, the council approved multiple public‑works purchases to be funded from CHIPS or specified capital accounts: - A resolution to contract with Estevo Construction for the 2025 Arrow Street reconstruction, not to exceed $125,800 in CHIPS funding. - A purchase from Addison Products Inc. for one dump body, plow frame and salt spreader, not to exceed $166,912. - A separate purchase of a cab and chassis from Regional International Corporation, not to exceed $146,954. Taken together, the two recent vehicle‑related resolutions for dump body and cab/chassis represent roughly $314,000 in equipment to outfit one DPW truck; a council member noted that the combined cost makes this a particularly expensive vehicle and that delivery will take about 18 months. - A lease/purchase for one new Mitsubishi forklift from Pro Lift not to exceed $37,261, to be funded from used equipment sales monies. - A contract with Otis Elevator Company to repair the elevator serving the Spring Street parking ramp, not to exceed $22,620, to be paid from contingency/building‑maintenance accounts.

On finance, the council approved warrants and bond‑related payments, including a final payment described in the meeting backup on a public‑improvement refunding bond and another scheduled bond payment (noted in the record as the first of two payments for a refunding issue). The clerk read the warrant amounts into the record and the council approved them by roll call.

Other actions approved included: - A temporary suspension of the hiring freeze and authorization to fill two clerkship positions and effect a change in the police department (sponsored by Councilman Sheldon). - An ordinance amendment to section 290‑22 (parking changes for April–September) and a separate winter‑parking section noted as part of unfinished business; the council approved the summer parking amendment during the meeting. - Reappointment of Sarah B. Drake to the office of commissioner of deeds for a two‑year term. - A resolution urging New York’s congressional delegation to fully fund and protect HUD’s CDBG and HOME entitlement programs in the FY2026 federal budget; copies were to be sent to U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy and appropriations leadership.

Votes were taken by roll call for each resolution; the clerk read members’ votes during each item and the council recorded ayes for the measures in the meeting transcript. The meeting record contains the roll‑call sequence for each approved resolution.

Mayor’s office and personnel notes in the meeting packet included a welcome to a new hire, Evan Reynolds in the Department of Public Works, and recognition of a retiring deputy fire chief, Matthew [last name redacted in the record].

The council concluded new‑business votes and moved on to announcements and ceremonial items including reminders of upcoming veterans’ events.