Bianchi To Propose Capital Budget For Roads, Parking
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Daniel Bianchi is looking for City Council support on a capital budget for only a few items.
The mayor said he will be putting together a request for $3 million in road improvements, $500,000 to implement some of the recommendations for the downtown parking study and $200,000 for engineering for the next phase of the downtown streetscape program.
"I think we are going to have support for a capital budget that will have roads, the implementation of some of the parking recommendations, and infrastructure-type issues," Bianchi said on Tuesday. "Plus the next phase of streetscape. We're going to need planning money so when the state comes out with MassWorks Grants or additional revenues become available, we already have the next phase of streetscape planned out."
The items were in the mayor's first proposed capital budget that was shot down by the City Council. Four councilors voted against the budget, hoping the mayor would add a fire truck into the plan. However, Bianchi felt he had already compromised enough on a spending plan that had gone back and forth.
Bianchi said he is now looking to present a smaller capital budget that is "really focusing on longer range infrastructure projects."
Bringing the projects to the council in this manner instead of a full capital budget is fine with Ward 6 Councilor John Krol, who was one of the four voting against the last plan. Krol said he hoped Bianchi would have brought items that had support forward earlier.
"It was never my intention to hold up these projects," Krol said. "I'm glad he's decided to do it."
Krol said the debate over the capital budget was "unnecessary political theatrics." He says he hopes to see more of the projects supported by the council come back. Bianchi, too, envisions more projects coming forward, saying capital items can come forward at any point.
The city had to cancel one bid for road projects because of the lack of a capital budget. But, finding a silver lining, Bianchi said Pittsfield will now be one of the first communities to get a bid out and therefore should get the best deal.
"We'll have close to a $4 million bid that can go out," Bianchi said.
The city will also start implementing changes to downtown parking with $500,000 in borrowing. The city recently received the final copy of a parking report calling for a new system that includes tiered costs and new designations for types of parking.
"We've got to start generating enough income so we don't have to worry about a parking garage sealing program, we'll have the money for that. We won't have to worry about line painting. We'll have the money to fix up parking lots," Bianchi said.
The mayor is working with Downtown Pittsfield Inc. on exactly how the implementation of the various recommendations will happen.
"We don't know exactly what it is going to cost us but we know it is going to cost us something. We had suggested a half of a million dollars to implement some of the parking recommendations," Bianchi said.
Ultimately, the city is looking to create a person or department to oversee all aspects of the parking — from enforcement to raising rates to the infrastructure work.
"I would like to get going on parking improvements. We are going to be trying different things and it is important that we have this available," Bianchi said.
Finally, Bianchi said he wants to finish the North Street streetscape construction that has been ongoing for a number of years. Depending on the available funds, there are one or two more phases left and then he will move onto other major commercial areas — such as Tyler and Elm streets.
"I would save we have one, maybe two phases left on North Street. But, we are not going to stop there," Bianchi said.
The mayor is asking the council to approve $200,000 to get the next phases "shovel ready" in case the state passes a supplemental budget or another round of MassWorks Grants become available.
Tags: capital budget, capital spending, construction, MassWorks grant, streetscape,
