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STAMFORD — When the Planning Board and Board of Finance met this week to resolve how the town ought to spend hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in federal assist, the large adjustments that lay forward sobered talks of the funding choices earlier than the 2 boards.
In the course of the almost-three-hour assembly, the 2 boards parsed via 19 tasks that the present Mayor David Martin’s administration desires to finance via federal COVID-19 stimulus cash and catastrophe aid cash obtained after Tropical Storm Ida.
And despite the fact that the 2 entities moved to make substantial repairs throughout metropolis colleges and roads, the Board of Finance in the end voted down extra complete reforms and updates in favor of ready for extra detailed plans from future administrations and the college district.
Thus far, Stamford has acquired $24.5 million from the COVID-19-related American Rescue Plan, $1.6 million of which continues to be unallocated. Town expects to obtain one other $24.5 million subsequent spring, which it should spend by the tip of 2026.
Martin pitched about $18.2 million price of HVAC and stormwater-related tasks to the 2 boards, leaving greater than $7 million unallocated for the subsequent administration to dole out. On high of that, Martin pitched for $4.95 million price of FEMA cash to handle the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, which resulted in infrastructural devastation across Stamford.
Each boards absolutely backed financing the slew of roadway-related tasks with FEMA cash despite the fact that the town expects the company to pay for 75 % of the tasks. The litany of enhancements contains drainage repairs on at the least 13 roads and parks, a street reconstruction venture on Farms Highway, renovations to a dilapidated culvert in Springdale and updates to 2 water pump stations.
Whereas closing approvals for the FEMA tasks will transfer on to the Board of Consultant’s Fiscal Committee on Nov. 1, the way forward for COVID-19 stimulus funding created extra friction among the many Board of Finance, particularly in regard to extra multi-site line gadgets, what with a pending November mayoral election.
“Issues are going to vary Dec. 1, and there could also be different priorities,” Board of Finance member Mary Lou Rinaldi stated in response to a bid to automate heating and cooling techniques throughout Stamford colleges.
Board member David Mannis additionally pushed again on separate plans to endure HVAC tools repairs at a number of colleges, together with Scofield Magnet Center College, Julia Stark Elementary College and Rippowam Center College.
“Nobody is extra emphatic than I’m that the HVAC difficulty must be on the coronary heart and core of any grasp plan,” Mannis began. However the timing is all fallacious, he argued.
“I imagine that if we allocate this cash now, when it’s time to deal with a bigger plan,” Mannis continued, “These items …would have had a spot within the plan, however this cash will probably be out the door, and we’ll have that a lot much less of our identified sources to convey to bear.”
Each HVAC proposals expressly excluded colleges that the district expects to demolish or considerably restore, like Westhill Excessive College or Roxbury Elementary College. However each Rinaldi and Mannis alluded to ready for outcomes from the pending amenities grasp plan. That doc, which officers stated they hope “will probably be accomplished and permitted by April of 2022,” will broadly outline the longer term for every of Stamford’s college buildings.
Stamford will maintain a municipal election on Nov. 2, the place voters will resolve on who will probably be mayor of Stamford — Democrat state Rep. Caroline Simmons or unaffiliated candidate Bobby Valentine, the entrepreneur and former athlete.
The upcoming election’s specter loomed giant over all of the Board of Finance’s choices, given the realities of an administrational change.
“I wish to depart it to the subsequent administration to decide on this,” Rinaldi stated whereas debating whether or not the Board of Finance ought to approve cash for a citywide stormwater administration research.
By the tip of the assembly, the Board of Finance rejected funding requests meant to automate air flow techniques on the colleges and to conduct a citywide drainage research.
The rejections, a number of board members stated, have been meant to safeguard the town’s funds in opposition to a shifting docket of priorities to return.
veronica.delvalle@hearstmediact.com
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