Jamestown Urban Renewal Agency approves 2025 service contracts, salary adjustments and key appointments
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Summary
The Jamestown Urban Renewal Agency approved its 2025 service contracts with the city and partner corporations, authorized routine administrative steps and approved modest salary-range adjustments for two management positions; it also appointed legal counsel and confirmed its executive secretary.
The Jamestown Urban Renewal Agency on an omnibus series of votes approved 2025 service contracts, designated bank depositories, confirmed audit engagement and approved modest management salary-range changes, then appointed legal counsel and its executive secretary.
The approvals included a 2025 contract for services with the City of Jamestown for $435,000 to allow the agency to continue administering HUD entitlement programs — including the HOME program and Community Development Block Grant funding — plus office and parking space in the Jamestown Municipal Building. Crystal, the agency executive secretary, told board members, “This is actually a slight increase from last year. It's definitely not what we asked for,” and said the funding covers administration of HUD entitlement funds, code enforcement, building and zoning inspections and economic development activities.
Why it matters: these contracts fund the agency’s core administrative work and its role in managing federal entitlement and grant funds for the city.
Other contract actions: the agency approved a contract for services with the Jamestown Local Development Corporation (JLDC) not to exceed $140,000, the same amount as prior years; and approved a contract with the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation (JRC) not to exceed $20,000 (an increase of $5,000 from the prior year to cover rising costs). The board also authorized M&T Bank, KeyBank and Evans Bank as official depositories for agency funds and approved an engagement letter for the 2024 audit with Drescher & Malecki, LLP.
Personnel and governance actions: the board confirmed the appointment of Elliot Raimondo as legal counsel and confirmed the appointment of Crystal as the agency executive secretary. It reviewed the agency bylaws, required fiduciary, conflict-of-interest and whistleblower acknowledgments and distributed updated management guidelines that include newly proposed salary ranges; the board scheduled formal consideration of those guideline changes for the following month.
Salary adjustments: the board approved recommended changes to salary ranges for two management positions: the newly created deputy director of housing policy and development (Casey) and the office manager (Elizabeth Torres). Agency staff and board members said these were modest adjustments intended to align pay ranges with duties; the increases were budgeted for 2025. As Crystal noted during discussion, “Code enforcement are required to recertify every year,” underscoring training and certification obligations tied to staffing decisions.
Staffing updates and funding note: the agency announced that Tim O'Dell, who managed American Rescue Plan (ARPA) grant implementation, resigned to take another position; the agency is not immediately replacing that role because much ARPA work is winding down. The board introduced new economic development coordinator Eileen Maku, who previously worked with a land bank and holds a realtor license. Agency staff flagged a federal funding slowdown affecting multiple projects and said they are actively monitoring grant submissions and compliance to avoid delays.
Votes at a glance: approval of the August 2024 minutes (approved); approval of financial reports (approved); designation of M&T Bank, KeyBank and Evans Bank as depositories (approved); 2025 services contract with the City of Jamestown, $435,000 (approved); 2025 services contract with JLDC, not to exceed $140,000 (approved); 2025 services contract with JRC, not to exceed $20,000 (approved); authorization for staff to attend 2025 conferences and trainings (approved); engagement letter with Drescher & Malecki LLP for the 2024 audit (approved); appointment of Elliot Raimondo as legal counsel (approved); appointment of the executive secretary (Crystal) (approved); approval of management salary-range adjustments for two positions (approved). Several roll-call votes recorded one dissenting vote by board member Carrie on multiple items; individual vote tallies were not specified in the meeting record.
The board directed staff to continue reviewing the revised management guidelines and salary ranges and to return with a final draft for formal adoption next month. Staff said they will continue close oversight of federal grant submissions and reporting to minimize any disruption from broader federal funding slowdowns.
