Mark Roetzer, city public works director, talks with City Council members during a recent work session about reducing the costs of the city’s match for the planned DPW Flood Mitigation project. Ericka Thomas, city comptroller, and Regina Brackman, D-Ward 3 and council president, look on. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

The city’s Department of Public Works is set to do a project on flood mitigation near Jackson Taylor Park and Jones and Gifford Avenue, but with the high planned costs of the project the city is continuing to work to find ways to decrease the cost of the project on the city.

During a recent City Council work session, a resolution for the city to put support behind the project was tabled by the council’s Finance Committee. Mark Roetzer, city public works director, said while there is no definitive time when the council needs to have the resolution passed to be able to start the project it would be better to do it sooner to keep the project on pace.

“If City Council decides they’re not willing to commit to this project, then that money will be gone,” Roetzer said. “So basically the project is $5.5 million, $4.4 (million) is the grant, $1.1 (million) is the city’s responsibility. That $4.4 (million) would be gone if the city decides not to pursue this project.”

Roetzer said any questions or concerns can be sent on to him and he will put something together for the next work session – scheduled for Monday – to try to clarify some areas of the project as much as possible. There are a few ways the DPW is looking to lower the cost of the project on the city, including using city forces and equipment and going after grants to help the $1.1 million match for the money from the state.

“We’re currently putting an application together right now …” Roetzer said. “If we’re able to get that grant, then a large part of our match will be covered. We don’t have any of those in hand, so I can’t say that we’re going to have those, but it’s something that we’re going to continue to do through the life of this project, is find other ways to either lower the cost of the project itself or help cover the match that the city is responsible for.”

City Development Director Crystal Surdyk noted that this project is a critical infrastructure project. If the flooding in that area is not mitigated, she said Jones and Gifford Avenue is at risk.

“It’s going to be a pay me now or pay me later kind of situation,” Surdyk said. “It’s a really important project. Jones and Gifford is a lifeline from here to Celoron and for our industry, that’s the only way they have access to get to businesses along that corridor.”

While Roetzer said he would like to see a decision this month, the public works director said he understands that the council is making a leap of faith that the city could be able to decrease the $1.1 million matching money the city has to pay. If it was not such an important project, Roetzer said, Surdyk and Roetzer would not be asking to proceed. Roetzer said he is also being careful not to overpromise something that they will not be able to deliver on later as well.

“I don’t want to say we’re going to cut that $1.1 million in half, because we don’t know if that’s possible yet,” Roetzer said. “It could be, it very well could be, but I don’t know that for sure.”

It was also noted that the Minnowbrook culvert project taking place on Water Street has been delayed until the next construction year, and in immediate terms some funding that was budgeted for that project for this year can be used for the flood mitigation project for engineering. Money will then be put back into next year’s budget for the Minnowbrook project.

The last time flood mitigation happened in the Jones and Gifford area was more than 50 years ago.

Councilman Doug Scotchmer, D-Ward 4 and chair of the Finance Committee, said from his perspective there needs to be a focus on the potential financial ramifications of the project.

“I think we need to be putting our heads together and talking with Mark (Roetzer), talking with Erika (Thomas, comptroller), talking with Kim (Ecklund, mayor) about what’s the best way we can work on getting this project done,” Scotchmer said. “I don’t have any questions that this is an important project, but I’m also looking at what the budget situation is for the city and looking at adding in $1 million over the next three or four years into that budget that currently has not been budgeted for, and what is going to be the best way we can hopefully do this project, but do it in the most cost effective way and not take away from other things in the city.”

Scotchmer added in the past the council has tabled something, gotten more information at the next work session, and then had it ready to vote on at the next voting session. He also noted the limitations on the match, including not being able to use in-kind services or federal funds. The use of CHIPS money for the match is a possibility, though Roetzer said getting told maybe is one of the worst answers to get from the state, as they would rather have a yes or no, and so they cannot rely on that. The potential to reduce tipping fees at the county landfill was also discussed, and Roetzer said they are still in conversations with the county about that.

The resolution to support the project was also discussed by the Public Works committee, and Councilman Daniel Gonzalez, D-At Large and chair of the Public Works Committee, reemphasized that the project is an important one and it is important to figure out the finances surrounding it.