Building a new city fleet maintenance garage on Washington Street has basically been a citywide root canal for the past three years.

There were questions about the site in the first place. Many questioned the use of a commercial parcel for the project. Then initial cost estimates were too low. Then inflation drove the cost even higher. Then there were delays being able to get some of the equipment.

Last week, city residents finally got a shot of novocaine to dull the pain. State officials came through with $1 million that had been billed as part of the project’s financing when it was first approved back in 2021. Over the past three years there was doubt whether or not the state was going to provide the money. But this wasn’t really the state’s fault – actions that needed to be taken by the city hadn’t been taken.

Fast talking by city Comptroller Ericka Thomas, Corporation Counsel Elliott Reimondo and Mayor Kim Ecklund resulted in the city receiving the $1 million, albeit in a somewhat convoluted fashion. State officials levied a penalty due to the city’s missteps, but then made the money up on another project that frees up $300,000 of already budgeted city money for the city to put into the fleet maintenance building.

After three years of rising costs, additional bonding and general frustration, it stands to reason that the final piece of the funding puzzle for the fleet maintenance garage wouldn’t come easily. The important thing is the state came through with the $1 million. That cost won’t have to be tacked on to a bond anticipation note the City Council approved earlier this year – meaning the city’s mistake won’t be costing taxpayers for years to come. That’s a good thing, because from the sounds of things the budget Mayor Kim Ecklund is about to propose isn’t going to be pleasant. Any money the city can save is a good thing.