Roswell council accepts Chering dredging application; residents urge immediate funding

The Roswell mayor and council on Monday voted to accept an application from the Chering neighborhood to participate in the city's dredging assistance program, a procedural approval that preserves Chering's eligibility for reimbursement but does not obligate the city to fund the work.

The acceptance came after more than a dozen residents and neighborhood officials urged the council to approve funding or a budget amendment immediately so a contractor already lined up could begin work. "We already have loan approval and a contractor ready to start in the next couple of weeks," Carrie Dunning, treasurer for Chering, told the council. "If we lose that contractor, we would have to reapply and reprice the project."

Assistant City Attorney Joe Cusack explained the narrow scope of the vote: the council was being asked only to accept Chering's application so the neighborhood remains eligible for reimbursement under the dredging-assistance ordinance. "There is no mechanism to fund it at this point," Cusack said; any appropriation would require a separately noticed budget amendment, he added.

Residents pressed the city on possible funding sources. Janet Russell, who said she does not live in Chering, urged councilors to consider recently identified savings from staffing changes as a source for the dredging fund. "You have found money that you didn't have when the discussion started," she said.

Council members asked staff for clarifications on the program. Officials said the assistance can be up to 50% of a project or $500,000 under the current policy, and neighborhoods that accept help cannot reapply for 10 years. City staff also said that stormwater utility fees are deposited into an enterprise fund for citywide stormwater work and do not directly fund the dredging-assistance program, which is paid from the general fund.

Council Member Chris Zach moved to accept the application; Council Member Alan Cells seconded. The motion passed unanimously among voting members; Council Member Christine Hall had recused herself from the item because she is a Chering resident. Mayor Mary Robisho and council members Sarah Bon, Erin Brumley, Jennifer Philippy, Alan Cells and Chris Zach voted in favor; Hall was recorded as recused.

The acceptance keeps Chering eligible for reimbursement but does not authorize spending. Several residents said the neighborhood has secured a loan and is counting on a 50% reimbursement to avoid significant homeowner assessments; they urged the council to expedite a budget amendment or identify contingency funds so the project can start without delay.

The council did not vote on a budget amendment at the meeting; staff and councilors said that would require separate public notice and a future meeting. The item record and related public comments will remain part of the council's files as the administration and council consider next steps.