An unidentified council speaker (Speaker 9) told the City Council that $1,300,000 has been received from the state to reimburse costs tied to moving retirees off lifetime health insurance, a payment tied to an earlier Financial Restructuring Board proposal.

"We were a little bit surprised because there was the last contact we had was that it was in process…next thing you know, it hit the bank account," the speaker said, thanking state contacts and city staff for their work securing the funds. The speaker said the money is intended to help reimburse retiree-related Medicare and insurance expenses and indicated the amount will not fully cover the long‑term obligations but will reduce pressure on the city’s fund balance.

The speaker also said city staff submitted an application for DRI Round 9 (the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative) and that a delegation will travel to Buffalo to make a presentation to the selection board. City staffers involved in the application were thanked for preparing the submission, which includes riverfront elements.

Finally, the speaker reminded residents that the tree lighting at Tracy Plaza will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the downtown Christmas parade is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. on Saturday, with more than 70 organizations registered to participate.

Next steps: city staff will update the council after the DRI presentation and monitor any conditions tied to the $1.3 million payment.