The Jamestown City Council is expected to consider allocating a significant amount of American Rescue Plan Act funding to address a water main replacement during a work session today.
Both the City Council Finance Committee and the Public Safety Committee will discuss a resolution that would designate $900,000 in American Rescue Plan Act Water, Sewer and Broadband funding in order to fund a water main replacement and street restoration work on Juliet Street and Roland Road.
In addition to the water main replacement project, the City Council will also revisit two public safety resolutions that were temporarily tabled in December.
The first of the two public safety resolutions would authorize Major Eddie Sundquist to execute an agreement for fixed location traffic enforcement services with BusPatrol. The proposed agreement would provide for the installation and management of a bus stop arm camera program.
During a work session in December, city officials expressed their belief that the bus stop arm camera program would provide additional safety for students at Jamestown Public Schools by providing a way for the city to ticket people who do not properly follow bus safety traffic laws.
While City Council members agreed with the potential benefits of the program, both Councilwoman Kim Ecklund, R-At Large, and Councilwoman Marie Carrubba, D-Ward IV, voiced concerns about the city’s potential liability if the contract with BusPatrol was approved.
The second public safety resolution would authorize Sundquist to execute an agreement for fixed location traffic enforcement services with Trafficpax. If the resolution is passed, it will provide for both the installation and management of a school zone speed camera demonstration program.
Last month, Sundquist told City Council members that the Trafficpax program has been used by other cities to gather information regarding speeding in school zones.
“Trafficpax has offered to put mobile sensing units in our school zones to get us data on how many cars are actually speeding in school zones,” he said. “It would not be to ticket anyone, it would be to see the number of cars that are actually speeding in school zones.”
Sundquist told City Council members that the information-gathering program would help the city decide whether or not there is a need for school zone speed cameras in Jamestown.
The city’s proposed agreement with Trafficpax is similar to the city’s previous contract with another organization that failed to execute the agreement with the city and provide Jamestown with the data on cars speeding in school zones.
“We’ve been working on this for quite some time and haven’t had a lot of traction in the last couple years,” Sundquist said.
The Housing Committee will meet at 6:45 pm in the Police Training Room, the Finance Committee will meet at 7 pmin the Mayor’s Conference Room, the Public Safety Committee will meet at 7 pm in the Police Training Room and the Public Works Committee will meet at 7 pm in the Department of Development Conference Room.
Tonight’s full City Council work session will be held at 7:30 pm in the Police Training Room at City Hall.