The City Council will discuss the New York State Climate Smart Communities pledge, American Rescue Plan Act funding for a second city ambulance and additional staffing for the Jamestown Fire Department during tonight’s City Council work session. Pictured are members of the City Council during last month’s voting session. P-J photo by Timothy Frudd

The City Council will discuss resolutions at tonight’s work session that have been tabled in previous months due to questions and concerns.

Sarah Swinko will give a presentation on the New York State Climate Smart Communities Program to the City Council. The city administration is once again proposing that the City Council approve the adoption of the New York State Climate Smart Communities pledge.

If adopted, the city would pledge to build a “climate-smart community,” inventory emissions, plan and set goals for climate action, decrease the use of energy, transition to “clean” or “renewable” energy, implement “climate-smart” land usage, utilize “climate-smart” management of materials, support the innovation of a green economy, enhance the community’s resilience to climate change, provide information and inspiration for the public and participate in an “evolving process” of climate action.

The City Council previously tabled the resolution, citing concerns of how the resolution could lock the city into a certain set of actions that could not easily be reversed and the need for the city’s corporation counsel to examine the legal aspect of the pledge.

Following the City Council’s initial discussion on the New York State Climate Smart Communities pledge, members of the community called for the City Council to delay the pledge, prompting the resolution to be tabled until the implications of the pledge could be better understood.

“There’s just a lot of misunderstanding of what it is and what it isn’t, and does it lock us into something or is it more conceptual and where’s the BPU with this at this point,” City Council President Anthony Dolce, R-Ward II, said. “Rather than just vote no and move on, I think it just needs more time to research it and get it out and make sure that everybody, not only the council, but as well as the constituents and people who have concerns, understand what it really is and what it isn’t.”

The City Council will also discuss the possibility of hiring an ombudsman as part of the corporation counsel’s office. The ombudsman position would replace the associate corporation counsel’s position, as Associate Corporation Counsel Ben Haskin is leaving the position this month. The position was discussed during City Council work sessions last month; however, the position was not voted on during the monthly voting session.

Also included on the City Council’s agenda is a resolution that would allocate $250,000 in American Rescue Plan Act Lost Revenue funds for the purchase of a second city ambulance. Although the city previously announced plans to launch a second ambulance service, the city has not yet allocated ARPA funding for the purchase of the ambulance.

In conjunction with discussions about a second ambulance, the City Council is also expected to discuss the possibility of hiring eight additional full-time firefighters under the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant. While the city administration has highlighted the potential benefits of reestablishing full staffing levels for the Jamestown Fire Department and the ability of the city to launch a second ambulance with adequate staffing, the City Council has questioned how the city would be able to afford the additional firefighters if Jamestown does not receive the SAFER grant again in three years when the funding period ends.

Prior to the City Council’s full work session meeting, the Housing Committee will meet in the police training room at 6:45 p.m. The Housing Committee is scheduled to have a discussion on homeless shelters in Jamestown.

At 7 p.m., the Public Safety Committee will meet in the police training room, the Finance Committee will meet in the mayor’s office and the Public Works Committee will meet in the Department of Development conference room.

Following the committee meetings, the City Council will meet at 7:30 for its full work session in the police training room. The public is welcome to attend.