The City Council Finance Committee and the Public Works Committee both approved a resolution Monday regarding $900,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for water main replacement and street restoration work on Juliet Street and Roland Road. The resolution will be voted on by the full council at the end of the month. Pictured are members of the City Council during the first work session of the year. P-J photo by Timothy Frudd

Both the City Council Finance Committee and the Public Works Committee approved $900,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for a major public works project in Jamestown.

Based on the approval of both the Finance Committee and the Public Works Committee, the resolution will be voted on by the full council at the end of the month. If passed by the City Council, the resolution would designate $900,000 in American Rescue Plan Act Water, Sewer and Broadband funding in order to fund water main replacement and street restoration work on both Juliet Street and Roland Road.

During the City Council’s work session on Monday, Finance Committee Chairwoman Kim Ecklund, R-At Large, expressed her support for the proposed resolution.

“I have no issues with this,” she said. “This is stuff that needs to be taken care of. As Marie and I have voiced many times, infrastructure is important.”

City Councilwoman Marie Carrubba, D-Ward IV, also highlighted the importance of addressing public works issues in the city, particularly issues caused by water.

“I’ve talked about it for a long time,” she said. “There’s a lot of areas of the city that we need to be working on, especially for water issues.”

City Council President Anthony Dolce, R-Ward II, Ecklund and Carrubba approved the resolution, passing it on for the full council’s consideration before January’s voting session.

Public Works Committee Chairman Randy Daversa told City Council members that the Public Works committee also approved the resolution.

In other business, City Councilman William Reynolds, R-Ward V, asked Mayor Eddie Sundquist about the city’s search for a new director of the Department of Public Works, following the retirement of Jeffrey Lehman. Lehman is currently expected to retire from his position as director of Public Works in March.

“We’re renewing our push for additional applicants,” Sundquist said. “It’s been difficult. At the same time, we’re looking for a new comptroller, so we’re trying our best. If any of you have businesses or are a part of businesses, you know how difficult it’s been to find employees.”

City Councilman Jeff Russell, R-At Large, asked Sundquist if there were any other employees at the Department of Public Works with a professional engineering degree. In response to Russell’s question, Sundquist informed the City Council that there is an individual with a professional engineering degree at the department that the city administration is considering elevating to “acting director” while the city searches for a potential candidate to permanently fill the position.

Daversa asked whether it would be possible for the city to adjust the requirement for the Public Works director to live inside the city boundaries in order for more candidates to be eligible for the position.

“It is possible, but it’s not something that I would subscribe to in terms of an appointment,” Sundquist said. Yes, for acting as we’re looking for someone. I’m okay with that, but a permanent position, we would want to eventually move into the city.”