The Finance, Diversity, and Equity and Inclusion, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, City Planning, and Public Health committees convened on October 27, 2025, to consider a series of emergency ordinances and resolutions. Key agenda items included authorization for sewer and public improvement contracts, bond refinancing to save costs, nuisance abatement programs, ADA ramp updates, temporary labor contracts, a private donation for tennis court improvements, and the expansion of child care scholarship funds amid concerns over the federal government shutdown. The meeting also featured extensive deliberation on traffic calming measures and a park renaming initiative.
Good afternoon, everyone. Um the finance, diversity, and equity and inclusion committees call to order. Madam Clerk, call the roll. Present. Present. Present. Thank you, Madam Clerk. We're gonna start with utilities. Come up. Okay. Ordinance number twenty twelve nineteen dash twenty twenty-five by council members Casey and Griffin by departmental request, an emergency ordinance determining the method of making the public improvement of constructing and installing replacement sewers and repairing and rehab my god, this is wrong. Um rehab rehabilitating, sorry, it's just my Spanish kicks in existing sewers and sewer connections, religion sewers and constructing and repairing catch basins and manholes at various locations throughout the city on an as-needed basis, and authorizing the director of public utilities to enter into one or more public improvement requirements, contracts for the making of the improvement, and authorizing gifts, grants, or loans for a term of one or two years. Legislation for the division of water pollution control typically uh results in four distinct contracts that are publicly procured for construction and installing replacement sewers and repairing rehabilitation of existing, which is our emergency sewer repair contract, rehabilitating and relining sewers, approximately two million dollars per year, rehabilit rehabilitating and repairing sewer connections, five hundred thousand dollars per year in constructing and repairing catch basins and manholes, approximately five hundred thousand dollars per year. Due to the timing of these four contracts, we do have one of them that is expiring in January of twenty twenty-six, but we are working to work towards getting all four um awarded and expiring in approximately the same time as you'll notice in the executive summary. Um kind of lapse on our part. We are going to try to get those more aligned. But this is a standard biennial uh request for us to go out and get these contract assistance and for an as-needed basis and also for emergency sewer repairs. Um, Councilman Casey, this is heard in utilities. Any other questions from my colleagues? So move. Solbaisky Avenue. And Area Sewer Replacement and Approving Projects Authorizing Director of Public Utilities to enter into one or more public improvements contracts authorizing the director to employ one or more professional consultants necessary to design the improvement and authorizing the director to apply for and asset any loans or grants from any public or private entity. Thank you, Madam Chair. These do this ordinance does give us the authority to proceed on the capital sewer replacement programs for the division of water pollution control as outlined in the five-year capital uh plan that we regularly share and was requested and should be on its way to you from the utilities committee. The division does identify these projects based on a number of criteria, and then we come and get the um requisite legislative authority to then proceed with its design and construction. The funds associated with these projects are from any available, but primarily from bond uh proceeds. Uh the division did go out um within the last 18 months and did borrow those funds, so we do need to get them identified to a project and spent in a timely manner, and this is our effort to continue in that regard. Thank you, Director. How do you say that street? So by the way, so BSP. Okay, Avenue. Um Councilman Casey? Any questions from my colleagues? Okay. I do have a question. Thank you. Oh, okay, Councilman Slaife. I did um through the chair to the commissioner. There, as you know, there's been some localized flooding issues in Ward 17 around some of these streets. I would presume and hope that this resolves some of that because Melgrave Avenue was paved not too long ago. So hopefully, hopefully this is controlling for the flooding issue, and therefore I think would be really beneficial. Do the chair chair council, yes. That will alleviate some of the flooding issues that have been going on. All right, thank you. No objections. Okay. Um any other questions? So move. Okay. Ordinance number.