Photo by Howard Owens.
Although groundbreakings may seem to be all about the fanfare of shovels in the ground and celebratory speeches, this spring's event for the city’s new police facility cost $10,000, requiring a budget transfer by the City Council.
City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. questioned the total amount for the event, which was conducted in the Alva Place parking lot this past May. City, county and political representatives praised the new police station project to be built in the corner lot of Alva and Bank Street in downtown Batavia.
“It seems a little high,” Jankowski said.
City Manager Rachael Tabelski detailed the cost.
“We used public relations in there as well for some of the outreach to the businesses in the area,” she said during Monday’s meeting at City Hall. “So it was public relations, planning the event and paying for the event.”
Businesses in the area didn’t respond very positively soon after the project began, with fencing shutting off adjacent parking used for patients with disabilities. Those business owners claimed that communication was lacking from the start, as they hadn’t been notified of the plan for the parking lot, and they voiced complaints for several weeks after the project commenced.
Tabelski further explained the groundbreaking and other costs that required a total transfer of $132,779 from the Contingency Fund. One of those costs included money for renovations to curbs and sidewalks in an effort to help and appease those business owners with alternate ways for their patients to reach their offices more safely.
"There are times where certain expenses are in excess of budgeted amounts set in April," Tabelski said in a memo to council. "The six-month budget review is a financial process that assists the City Council and city manager when reviewing the status of the budget and in making transfers as necessary.
"The city hosted a groundbreaking and media event for the new police facility, and expenses were charged to the city manager's account. I am recommending increasing the city manager-professional fees account by $10,000," she said.
A breakdown of the remaining additional costs included:
- "The city has utilized labor attorney services for various employee and union matters in the first six months of the budget, and with ongoing issues I am recommending an increase in the Legal Services-Labor Counsel account by $30,000," she said.
- The city has been involved in several contested code cases, extreme risk protection order hearings, property foreclosure reviews, property sale assistance, and property phase I and II reviews that have added expense to the city budget, she said. That is to add another recommended $30,000 to the Legal Services-Professional fees account.
- Tabelski also recommended adding $16,980 to the Community Development account for funds expended for mid-block curb cuts and extension of private sidewalks to allow for better access in the corridor since the beginning of the police facility construction project. Curb cuts and sidewalk extensions were done after business owners complained about the lack of parking and access due to construction fencing in the parking lot.
- The city makes a yearly payment to the BP2 fund to assist with new economic development activities in the Brownfield Opportunity Area out of earned PILOT revenue, she said. She recommended increasing the Economic Development account by a related $5,799.
- Since the city's general liability insurance expenses were more than expected for fiscal year 2024-25, she recommends adding $40,000 to the Administrative Services-Insurance Account, she said.
The total of $132,779 will come from the city’s Contingency Fund.
