The Plymouth City Council will conduct a public hearing for two additional appropriation requests during their meeting on Monday, February 22nd. The meeting will be held in the second floor Council Chambers of City Hall at 6:30 P.M. Those attending should enter through the Garro Street door and go to the second floor. Masks and social distancing are requested.
The Common Council will consider a request from Mayor Senter for $150,000 from the Rainy-Day Fund. The monies will allow the Bardwell Aquatic Center to continue operating for the remainder of this year.
City Attorney Sean Surrisi and First Lady of Plymouth Leanne Senter have been volunteering their time and talents to keep the pool operating since last fall when Rick Miller defaulted on his contract to operate the pool. Since that time, contingency funds from the construction of the pool have been used to keep the lights on, water circulating, the structure warm and lifeguards on duty. Surrisi said funds will run out in March and a short-term option was to use Rainy Day Funds while a long-term solution can be created.
The second additional appropriation request is $350,000 from the Historic Footbridge Fund. At the January 25th meeting of the City Council, City Engineer Rick Gaul asked the administration if they were in favor of moving forward with a supplemental contract with VS Engineering for the E. LaPorte Street Footbridge project, since it would require an additional appropriation of $29,200. The City Council approved moving forward with the project.
In additional to that cost, the construction for the bridge is scheduled to move forward in October of this year. Rather than having to hold another additional appropriation public hearing, Clerk/Treasurer Jeanine Xaver included the anticipated funds necessary for the construction making up the $315,000 additional.
Taxpayers appearing at the meeting shall have the right to be heard.
The additional appropriations, once approved, will be referred to the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF). The DLGT will make a written determination as to the sufficiency of funds to support the appropriations within 15 days of receipt of a certified copy of the action taken by the City Council.
