A new smart parking meter that has been installed recently in downtown Jamestown. The smart parking meters currently accept coin and credit card payments. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

The New York state budget passed last week included good financial news for the city of Jamestown.

Mayor Eddie Sundquist said during the Jamestown City Council work session meeting Monday that the city will be receiving its full amount of state aid this year. In January when Gov. Andrew Cuomo discussed his executive budget, it was estimated that state aid to municipalities might be decreased by 10%. However, following the passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, with $300 billion going to state and local governments, which includes $12.3 billion to the state in direct, unrestricted aid, Sundquist said the city will receive its full amount of state aid.

According to the 2021 executive budget summary released by the mayor in October, city officials were only expecting to receive a projected $4.46 million in state aid, which was a 20% decrease from 2017-2019.

“We will now receive the full amount instead of a 20% withholding,” he said.

Sundquist said the state will also make the city financial whole for 2020, as well. He said last year the state withheld 5% of the city’s state aid, but the city will now receive that additional funding.

“We’re now getting that back after the state was made whole from the federal government,” he said.

Additionally, the city will also be receiving an increase in Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) funding from the state, Sundquist said. He said the city has been receiving the same amount of CHIPS funding from the state since the 1980s. However, the new budget includes a 23% increase for the city.

“We’re still waiting the final amount, but excited to see the increase in reimbursement,” he said.

As for the $29.87 million the city is expected to receive from the federal government’s stimulus package, Sundquist said city officials are still waiting for guidance from the Treasury Department on how the funding can be used. He said the first payment from the federal stimulus is expected in early May.

In other business, Sundquist said the new smart parking meters have been installed in the city. He said the meters now accept both coins and credit card payments. He added the city will be creating some public service announcements to educate the community about the new parking meters.

“They are fairly easy to use,” he said.

Sundquist said city officials will be soon placing another order for smart parking meters to finish replacing all of the old meters downtown. In September 2020, city officials said 135 smart parking meters were included in the first phase of replacing the old meters.

The council also discussed entering into an easement agreement with Lynn Development, located at 1351 N. Main St., for a 30-foot by 30-foot area of land that will be used for an entrance sign along the North Main Street corridor. Jeff Lehman, city public works director, said city officials are still working on the design concept of the sign.

He said the first step in the process is to finalize an easement agreement for the land with Lynn Development.