Jamestown City Council approves slate of year-end resolutions including ARPA transfers, contracts and hires

The Jamestown City Council approved a package of year-end resolutions on Dec. 30 that included transfers of federal State and Local Fiscal Recovery Act (SLFRF/ARPA) funds to the city general fund, contract awards for infrastructure work, and authorizations to hire two public-works employees.

Council members voted to direct $1,500,000 from the city’s SLFRF/ARPA funds to the 2025 Jamestown General Fund to cover increased health-insurance costs and related liabilities, as described in the motion adopted by the council. The council also approved a separate transfer of $886,028.45 from SLFRF/ARPA funds to the general fund for additional medical and health-plan costs and a $400,000 transfer from SLFRF/ARPA for change orders and costs related to replacement and repair of the Jamestown Municipal Building roof at 2200 East Third Street.

The council approved a contract with CNF Companies for design and implementation of the Chautauqua River Basin (transcript: —Chaddiquarn River Basin—) application project for an amount not to exceed $1,280,661. The council also authorized an increase of $19,526.90 to the Arcadia Concrete Excavating contract for Jefferson Street reconstruction citing previously undiscovered damage, and it authorized execution of other procurement and maintenance contracts reported during the session.

Other actions adopted included: - Approval of nominations to the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Commission (Christopher Macchio and John Bauer) by suspension of the rules and a roll-call vote. - Adoption of an updated procurement policy for 2025 based on recommendations from the State Comptroller's office. - Designation of the depositories for the city for 2025 and designation of The Post-Journal as the official newspaper for 2025 publications. - A lease agreement authorizing the city to rent office space to Chautauqua County on the fifth floor of the municipal building (Jan. 1, 2025'Dec. 31, 2029) and a separate lease for approximately 6,608 square feet on the third floor for the Chautauqua County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (same term, with a renewal option). - Purchase authorizations including a 2025 Nissan Sentra S for $20,832.20 and Hallowell wardrobe lockers and pedestals from Grainger for $4,794.20 for a fire station. - Authorization for Fire Lieutenant Kyle R. Scholl to attend a New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control first-line supervisor training program (class 125) at the Fire Academy in Queens (Jan. 6'Jan. 31, 2025). - Suspension of hiring freezes to permit hiring one laborer and one mechanic in the Department of Public Works (fleet division). - Authorization of certain grant- and license-related actions and the schedule of regular 2025 council meetings.

Council discussion on these items was generally brief. A council member asked a follow-up question about the $19,526.90 increase to the Jefferson Street contract; city staff (Mark Ritzer on the record) confirmed the cost increase resulted from additional, previously unidentified damage rather than an underbid. A small number of recorded votes included spoken nays on a few items; the minutes record roll-call answers for each resolution. The council did not vote to table or delay the principal transfers and contracts recorded at the session.

The actions approved at the Dec. 30 meeting will be implemented by the appropriate departments and, where applicable, are subject to the terms of the approved contracts and budget availability.