Today, the Chautauqua County Public Facilities Legislative Committee will consider a proposed agreement with the state Department of Transportation regarding an increase in estimated cost for the South Main Street Bridge project.

The project, originally approved at $4,010,000, is currently estimated to run upwards of $4,243,988 — 80 percent of which will be covered by federal funding. The county anticipates New York state will reimburse the county 75 percent for the non-federal funds. According to the agreement, if the costs should exceed the costs appropriated by this agreement, the Chautauqua County Legislature will be convened as “soon as possible” to appropriate the excess amount after being notified by the New York state Department of Transportation.

Committee Chairman John Hemmer, R-Westfield, said the bridge project is unusual because it is located in the middle of the city. He said it is a big project that the county wants to see move forward.

“It’s quite a process,” Hemmer said. “It’s not our typical county bridge on a county highway.”

In other news, the committee will also consider a lease agreement with Celebration Hall, LLC in order to move the Family Court Division of the Public Defenders Office into the Chautauqua County Municipal Building. Hemmer said the Public Defender’s Office is “pretty cramped,” which called for the move.

About 1,568-square-feet of office space on the first floor of the building would be leased from March 1 until Feb. 28, 2023, for $1,100 per month. The landlord will cover the utilities including heat and electric, while the county will be responsible for the phone and computer line costs including installation feeds. The resolution also leaves room for the county to renew the lease for one additional period of five years which will be subject to the same terms and conditions.

A resolution will also be discussed to authorize the issuance of $16,888,000 in bonds to pay for the cost of designing and constructing an extension of the South Chautauqua Lake Sewer District. The improvements to the sewer district extension to be located in North Harmony include the installation of new facilities such as gravity sewers, pressure sewers, pumping stations.

Hemmer said the county is pursuing grants at the moment which may lower the cost as well.

“But it will be close to that,” he said.

The grants are estimated to total $7.5 million. Hemmer said the efforts are necessary to “clean up Chautauqua Lake as best we can.”

Any resolution approved today will also go before the Audit and Control Committee on Thursday morning. The Public Facilities Committee meets today at 4 p.m in room 331 on the fourth floor of the Gerace Office Building in Mayville.