Editor's Note: This article has been updated on 1/26/23 to include details of the future facility upgrades.
A project at two major city facilities that began more than five years ago is finally coming to fruition after City Council approved the use of post-COVID funds for the work this week.
During a special business meeting on Monday, council approved reallocating $635,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds for upgrades at the City Fire and Bureau of Maintenance department facilities. Funds of $400,000 and $235,000 are being diverted from prior projects of Cohocton water and Austin Park’s playground, respectively.
ARPA money was from 2021 Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to assist municipalities with post-COVID measures to rebound from financial losses.
These two capital projects were first eyed in 2017 and were then put on hold in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“We finally got a project engineered and out to bid. It came back much higher,” City Manager Rachael Tabelski said.
She recommended taking funds previously allocated for the Cohocton Water and Austin Park playground projects and reroute them to the fire station and Bureau of Maintenance projects.
She wasn’t suggesting scrapping the other projects, but to finance Cohocton Water and find other grants for the playground later on, she said.
The city received a total $1,474,764.79 of ARPA funding, $722,000 of which has already been spent at the fire station for water system engineering, apron accessibility, a new sewer camera and water meter reader, she said.
Public Works Director Brett Frank outlined details of both new projects.
Fire Department work is to include:
- General Improvements
- Fire Suppression System
- Fire Alarm System
- New generator
- Plumbing improvements
- Electrical improvements
- HVAC improvements
Bureau of Maintenance work is to include:
- Completely reconstructed trench drain
- Plumbing tmprovements
- HVAC improvements
A total price tag of nearly $1.9 million for the fire station and bureau of maintenance projects includes that $635,000 reallocated from ARPA, $1,100,000 from facility reserves, $55,000 from FEMA and another $100,000 from ARPA.
The Cohocton Water project includes the potential to remove an existing line and replace the waterline on Walnut Street as well, she said. That project has now swelled to $2.6 million and will need to be financed by a bond, she said. The park playground has an opportunity for future grant funding, so she recommended taking both ARPA funds for the facility improvements.
In related votes, council approved contracts with Camco General Contracting, Inc. for general contractor, DG Messmer Corporation for plumbing, and Concord Electric Corporation for electrical.
Council also reviewed additional future expenses to be completely financed, including $1.5 million for a new ice rink chiller and Zamboni ice machine, $1.7 million for a street light LED conversion, $1 million for sanitary line work at Maple and Mill streets, and $12.5 million for a new police facility.
Top Photo of city fire station from City of Batavia; above of CIty Manager Rachael Tabelski by Howard Owens.
