YNN.com

Jamestown

Change region

  67º

You are not signed in  |  Sign in here  |  Help

You're viewing a lite version of ynn.com

Time Warner Cable customers: Sign in with your TWC ID for video access.

Get my TWC ID. | Get TWC service. | Read the FAQ.

11/20/2012 05:45 PM

City Of Jamestown Looks to Borrow $1M For Equipment, Upgrades

The City of Jamestown has a million reasons why it wants to complete a long list of improvement projects, as council members decide next week whether or not to borrow the cash. YNN's Mark Goshgarian tells us how the money will be spent.

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — The City of Jamestown is considering a plan to borrow a million dollars in bonds to pay for several large ticket items not part of its annual budget.

"We don't borrow for day to day needs, we don't have end of the year borrowing; we do borrow for the type of things a business or family would borrow for, larger ticket type of items that go beyond your ability to pay cash for, and also have a longer life span," said Sam Teresi, (D), Jamestown Mayor.

The bond project calls for $400,000 in new equipment for the Parks Department and DPW, including a new street sweeper.

"People tell me all the time, well let's just get rid of the street sweepers. Well, if you did that, the streets would be a mess, they're kind of the unsung hero they just keep going, and we just got through our leaf pick up season, and they're used extensively for four to six weeks," said Jeff Lehman, Department Of Public Works Director.

The remaining $600,000 will go toward public safety equipment upgrades after the FCC required all over-the-air communication within the public sector to be converted to narrow band radio by the end of the year.

"Literally, if we did not make this transition by the end of the air, we'd have been off the air," said Teresi.

Teresi calls the project critical, and says the city has not invested any significant money for upgrades to its radio system in almost two decades.

"Our police wouldn't be able to communicate with base unit, with 9-11, it would have an impact on the fire department being able to communicate, and the DPW being able to communicate and the parks department being able to communicate," said Teresi.

The council will vote on the bond resolution next Tuesday night.