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Board questions funding path for Bridge New York bridge work; suggests bond language
Summary
Board discussed Bridge New York bridge work presented by an engineer introduced as Jason (JMT). A board member said the draft resolution appeared to obligate the general fund for roughly $2.5 million and recommended rewriting to allow bonding or phased appropriations acceptable to DOT.
An engineer introduced at the meeting as Jason (with JMT) outlined bridge work under the Bridge New York program and answered the board's funding questions. During discussion a board member raised a procedural and fiscal concern: the resolution circulating in the board packet appeared written to obligate the town's general fund for the full project amount—spoken in the meeting as about $2,500,000—which the board does not currently have available.
A board member said the resolution should be rewritten to specify a bond or other financing approach acceptable to the Department of Transportation, or to phase appropriations so the town does not attempt to appropriate funds it does not yet hold. "We can't appropriate money that we don't," the member said, prompting discussion about drafting a resolution that would allow the town to move forward without misrepresenting immediate availability of funds. The board discussed doing smaller initial steps (engineering or the first component) to get the project rolling while deferring larger appropriations until funding is secured.
No final vote on a funding resolution was recorded at this meeting; members indicated staff should revise the draft resolution and bring a funding mechanism acceptable to DOT back to the board for consideration.
