Alderman urges $300,000 to start Main Street circulation and downtown traffic redesign; staff say full cost likely higher

Alderman Arnett introduced an amendment to begin a downtown Main Street traffic circulation and design project. The sponsor described the item as a transformative downtown circulation redesign that would precede later rebricking and complete‑street improvements.

"This is to begin the actual implementation," Arnett said. "I wanna get this project started. It's my last project, for all intents and purposes. The intent here is to get it on the book and to get it going and, get it going now."

Finance staff and the sponsor acknowledged funding and sequencing concerns. Finance Director Britney Moran told the council that the way the amendment was drafted, it captures $300,000 that had been cut from other projects but that the implementing department believes the full cost to execute the project is closer to $525,000. "After speaking with the department, they feel that the full funding for this new project is actually closer to 525,000," Moran said, and cautioned sponsors that further departmental conversation would be required to identify what the $300,000 would accomplish and what supplemental funding would be needed later.

Council members discussed related and overlapping projects — rebricking Main Street, bollards and event closures, circulation in Eastport, and sidewalk and Complete Streets funding — and recommended coordination across multiple CIPs to avoid duplication and to set priorities. Aldermen also suggested funding the immediate design work as a capital expense (bond or capital reserve) rather than one‑time operating funds, since the project would create durable capital improvements and future maintenance obligations.

Ending: Sponsors agreed to continue discussions with public works and finance to reconcile the exact scope and full cost, and to identify funding options (bonds, capital reserve or phased implementation) before the budget is finalized.