“Nothing horrible,” is how Joseph Bellitto, city comptroller, summed up the city’s first financial quarter of 2018.

On Monday, Bellitto presented the first quarter finance report during the Jamestown City Council work session meeting. He said revenues during the first three months of the year were within budget estimates. He added BPU tax equivalence payments for electric, water, wastewater and solid waste are at or exceed what was budgeted, while district heat is running short of what was estimated. Bellitto said, collectively, all five BPU utility divisions project to be slightly over budget for the year.

Bellitto said city officials will receive first quarter sales tax revenue payment on or around May 1 from county officials.

As for expenditures, Bellitto said city officials have used around 44 percent of the Public Works and Parks departments overtime budget for snow removal during the first quarter. He said this is 7 percent higher than last year at this time. He added in 2017, they only finished at 83 percent of the overtime budget for these two departments, so even though it is currently running higher than estimated, the departments may still be within budget for overtime by the end of the year.

Bellitto said city officials have used 67 percent of the $450,000 salt and snow removal budget so far in 2018. In 2017, city officials had used 92 percent of the salt and snow removal budget by the end of the first financial quarter. Last year, city officials went over the salt and snow removal budget by $107,000, or 27 percent.

City officials have used more of their gasoline and diesel fuel than they had estimated. All city departments are at 31.25 percent of the gas and diesel fuel budget. Last year at this time, city officials were at 23.35 percent.

In other business, the council discussed a $150 change order for general construction Phase 2 of the renovations to the Jamestown Police Department. Jeff Lehman, city public works director, was asked when the main entrance to the department, located along Second Street, might reopen to the public. Lehman said he expects the main entrance to the police department to be opened around the beginning of May.

In January, the council passed a resolution for Phase 1 renovations to the police department that are necessary following the flooding that occurred last fall because rainwater was not properly drained during ongoing renovations to Tracy Plaza. Phase 1 work included the public entrance area, the command center and the squad room in the department. Lehman said Monday that Phase 1 work is basically concluded.

In February, the council approved three resolutions for renovation work for the police department. Work that was approved included a change order for $1,774 for the general construction Phase 1 contract with Empire Development Inc. of Mayville. The original contract for Phase 1 work was $114,922.

In February, the council also approved a proposal for $34,000 to install spray foam insulation above the police department, between the ceiling and the concrete Tracy Plaza pad.

The council also approved a resolution to hire LaBella Associates for $29,900 for architectural and engineering services for Phase 2 work at the police department, which will cover the rest of the facility. LaBella also handling architectural and engineering services for Phase 1.

In September, Sam Teresi, Jamestown mayor, said the general contractors working on the Tracy Plaza reconstruction project — Patterson-Stevens Inc. — did not properly securing the area, which allowed rainwater to pour into the police station. He said inadequate procedures were taken by the contractor to prevent rainwater from entering areas of the police department located under the deck. He added in-house legal staff and the city’s insurance company has documented all the damage done so the contractor can be held accountable for the damage and not city taxpayers.

In January, Lehman said there have been no recent flooding problems at the police department.

Since 2013, city officials have been renovating the deck area surrounding the city Municipal Building, located at 200 E. Third St. The deck covers the Jamestown Police Department, a parking garage and storage areas. Work being done to Tracy Plaza includes adding more landscaping to make the area more environmentally friendly, more energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing. Also, the Phase 2 plans for the concrete deck call for relocating the Veterans Memorial to be closer to the wall of the fireman’s doom that is visible on southwest corner of the plaza. On the wall, the plan is for a mural to be painted depicting U.S. soldiers.

The first phase of the Tracy Plaza renovation project was done to remove the parapet wall surrounding the building. Phase 3 work will include reconstructing the north/west section of the deck.

In January, Snellings said anyone needing to visit the police station while the main entrance is closed can go through the Tracy Plaza entrance to the city Municipal Building, located at 200 E. Third St., to request assistance.