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Officials To Pay County Landfill Bill

City officials seemingly will reluctantly pay a county landfill charge next week during its voting session meeting.

On Monday during the Jamestown City Council Public Works Committee meeting, city officials discussed the county bill to the city for $14,243 for disposing of dredged material from the Chadakoin River.

Jeff Lehman, city public works director, said the dredging was done last year to assist with boats and to ensure the Chautauqua Bell would be able to dock at McCrea Point Park. In July 2017, a day-long festival rededicating McCrea Point and the Municipal Boat Landing following improvements to the park was held, which featured rides on the Chautauqua Bell. Lehman said 548 tons of material was dredged out of the Chadakoin River and hauled away by the county to the landfill. He said the material was sent to the landfill as daily cover, which is the name given to the layer of compressed soil or earth laid on top of a day’s deposition of waste on an operational landfill site. The cover helps prevent the interaction between the waste and the air, reducing odors and enabling a firm base upon vehicles may operate.

It was the city’s position that they didn’t have to pay the county for disposing of the material because there is no charge for daily cover, Lehman said. He said officials from the county, city and the state Department of Environmental Conservation even tested the dredged material to make ensure it could be used as daily cover before it was removed from the Chadakoin River.

Lehman said for the last year city officials have been “negotiating” with county officials about the $14,243 charge. However, he said it has been decided that city officials will pay the bill. He added that county officials did do city officials a favor by hauling the material to the landfill.

The council will vote on the resolution to pay the county bill during their voting session meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Chadakoin Park along Washington Street. Following the construction of a new playground at the park last month, city officials decided to host a special meeting of the council at the park. Marie Carrubba, council president, said an announcement will be made by 3 p.m. Monday if the meeting at the park has been canceled due to the weather. If the meeting is held where the council regularly meets at the city Municipal Building, located at 200 E. Third St., the meeting will still start at 6:30 p.m. The council usually holds its voting session meetings at 7:30 p.m.

In other business for the council, it was announced the Gebbie Foundation will pay $263,288 as the local match for the West Second Street public piazza project around the National Comedy Center and Northwest Arena. Vince DeJoy, city development director, said the funding from the Gebbie Foundation was the match for the $140,000 city officials received from the state through the Regional Economic Development Council program. He also said the cost of the project was lower than originally estimated, but did not announce the total.

In March during the city Planning Commission meeting, it was announced the public piazza project would cost around $700,000, which meant the Gebbie Foundation, and other local foundation providing funding for the project, would donate $560,000.

The project improved the aesthetics of the area by adding decorative brick, additional landscaping and new lighting, which will be installed this fall. The appealing urban public square provides a pedestrian-friendly feel while connecting the National Comedy Center and Northwest Arena. The public piazza, which was used for the first time for a block party during the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, will be closed to vehicle traffic during events at Northwest Arena or the National Comedy Center. However, when there is no event, the street is open to vehicle traffic.

The council discussed an agreement with the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts and Ellicott Apartments. Lehman said the agreement states the two entities will maintain and be responsible for any repairs to the new heated sidewalks that were installed during the summer when streetscape improvements were made along East Third Street.

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