Council agrees to take up issue of Redfield Park pillars as part of 2019 budget talks

By consensus, the Batavia City Council decided Monday to take up the issue of restoration of the stone pillars on the south end of Redfield Parkway, the intersection with Main Street, during the 2019 budget process.

The idea of moving forward sooner using leftover funds from Vibrant Batavia and an assessment on Redfield Parkway residents found no apparent council member support.

If the $60,000 project is part of the 2019 budget, it would likely be a capital expenditure. 

"It makes the most sense to me, putting it before the normal budget process," said Councilman Adam Tabelski.

Councilman John Canale said he can't believe how much time the City Council is spending on the issue.

"It’s a housekeeping issue," Canale said.

He said the pillars are city owned and the city should take care of them, just like the city takes care of Lambert Park in his neighborhood. He called the idea of assessing Redfield Parkway residents "absolutely ridiculous."

"I and all my neighbors enjoy that park a lot more than any other resident in the City of Batavia," Canale said. "If something is done at Lambert Park, you certainly wouldn’t get a dollar out of me in an assessment to do something at Lambert Park.

Councilman Bob Bialkowski warned against dragging the issue on any longer, saying it tears at the fabric of the community. He compared it to the comparisons between the Northside and the Southside when he was growing up, when it seemed like the Northside had all the paved streets, curbs and sidewalks.

"We are a single community and I think we have to move forward with this as a community," Bialkowski said. "We take care of each other. I would like to see some sort of commitment that moves us forward so we don’t have the same discussion six months down the road."

Council President Eugene Jankowski instructed Interim City Manager Matt Worth to make sure it's a priority item to discuss for the 2019 budget.