The city council agreed to hold off on appropriating funds from the 2025 General Fund Balance to the Fenton History Center for heat tapes until more was known about incoming grants. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

City Council members recently made the decision to hold off on city funding to the Fenton History Center to replace heat tapes on the building

During her budget presentation, Joni Blackman, Fenton History Center executive director, said they reached out to multiple foundations, including the Sheldon and Hultquist foundations and the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, and will also be using $800 out of its own budget to work on replacing the heat tapes before winter.

Councilman Brent Sheldon, R-Ward 1 and chair of the council’s Finance Committee, asked why there was a contingency request for city funding if these grants were also approved and coming in, and comptroller Erika Thomas said when Parks Manager Dan Stone approached her about it he was just starting the grant process and it was unknown what amount would be coming in.

“It needs to get done so instead of waiting for the grants and getting a yes or no, he did that just as a worst case scenario kind of thing if any of this grant money didn’t come through,” Thomas said.

Council president Tony Dolce, R-Ward 2, added that Stone called him that morning to tell him it would be on the agenda but did not know if the grants were coming in yet. Blackman said the Hultquist and Sheldon Foundation checks were in process, but they were still waiting to hear back from the other, and recommended holding off on that decision until it was known, which would probably be by two or three weeks.

The discussion was brought up again during the work session.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to have the Hultquist Foundation step up and make a donation along with the Sheldon Foundation, and we’re waiting to hear back from the Community Foundation as well,” Stone said during the work session.

The total amount of grant money that will come in should be known by or close to the next work session.