PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The money to finalize the renovation of Durant Park has been secured.

 

After a community effort to rename Pitt Park in honor of Willard and Rosemary Durant, those involved wanted to see a park that reflected what the two meant to the neighborhood.

 

The city rehabilitated the basketball court in 2015. The following year, federal funds were allocated from the Community Development Block Grant Program to purchase new playground equipment — which volunteers built during a two-day community build. New signage was also added to the park.

 

And this year, there will be a new shelter. Greylock Federal Credit Union donated $25,000 toward the shelter project. But, unfortunately, that was just a tad short. 

 

"Greylock generously funded 25K toward the construction of a four-post metal permanent shelter for Durant Park," said Parks and Open Spaces Manager Jim McGrath. "We're just about $8,500 short in the full funding package."

 

On Tuesday, the City Council agreed to use $10,000 worth of unspent funds from previous capital projects to put the final touches on the park. McGrath said he'll be immediately reaching out to the construction company ProBuild to get the 24-feet by 34-feet shelter up. The shelter is anticipated to be large enough to house the various outdoor programs that operate there should there be inclement weather.

 

"I'd like this see this shelter built this construction season," McGrath said.

 

The city's contribution to the shelter comes from money borrowed five years ago but never spent. Director of Finance Matthew Kerwood said the city tends to borrow in round numbers and often there are some residual funds. The city is paying on the debt, but that extra bit of cash remains in a bank account until it is used for other capital requests.

 

For this project, some $2,600 from the Common renovation, about $2,300 for floor abatement at the library, and about $2,300 to upgrade a generator was sitting in an account from 2012. In 2013, another $2,700 or so remained after a re-keying project at Crosby School. Those were bundled together to be used for ths shelter.

 

There had been limitations to using those funds but those restrictions have been loosened by the state's

Municipal Modernization Act. Kerwood said there are a number of these types of funds from previous capital projects that he will be looking to get off the books. 

 

"I anticipate bringing a whole slew of them forward and put them toward Taconic," Kerwood said.

 

In the last year, the city has been cleaning up a lot of the books when it comes to capital projects. Earlier this year Kerwood brought forth a handful of capital authorizations to be rescinded. Those were projects the city had approved and for one reason or another, never went forward and the money was never borrowed. Kerwood, with approval from the City Council, has been rescinding those authorizations or transferring them to currently approved projects which are short on funds.

 

Additionally, Kerwood has been looking to tighten up what the projects end up on the capital budget. Projects like the re-keying at Crosby School will no longer be a capital item, but instead will be part of the operating budget, Kerwood said.

 

"Projects like this, projects that are more of an ongoing maintenance issue, we are moving away from borrowing from and paying for it from the operating budget," Kerwood said.

 

In other business, the city accepted a $149,000 grant from the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. 

 

"This is the grant we get every year for Advanced 911 that helps to pay for the salaries of dispatchers," Kerwood said.

 

For years, the state has been helping with the dispatchers' salaries but with the city facing fiscal restraints, city councilors have been even more keenly aware of possible unforeseen increases in costs and posed the question of what happens if the city doesn't get the grant in the future.

 

Kerwood said the budget for the salaries is required to be fully funded. With the grant, that means $149,000 that was budgeted for the Police Department can be allocated to other lines within the department. 

 

"You have to budget anticipating you are not going to get it. When and if you get it, you can adjust funds accordingly," Kerwood said.

 

For example, the Police Department's overtime budget has been routinely underfunded year after year and often at the end of the year the City Council is asked to transfer funds to cover the deficit. Already this year the department is trending above its scheduled overtime allocation — spending a third of it in the first quarter. The $149,000 from the grant can help offset that.

 

Councilor at Large Kathleen Amuso questioned why the Police Department should decide where the extra money goes. She asked Kerwood to find a way to work around the grant when budgeting.

 

Ward 4 Christopher Connell, meanwhile, asked if it wouldn't make sense to contract with the sheriff's department for dispatching services. That department already dispatches for numerous Berkshire County towns. Kerwood said an analysis of the costs and impacts would have to be done first.