The Fiscal Committee of the Stamford Board of Representatives met on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Democratic Caucus Room and remotely. Co-Chairs Eric Morson and Andrew Zachary presided. The committee considered 16 agenda items, including several additional appropriations and resolutions, and approved all but one (Item 2 was taken as no action). Key discussions focused on emergency asbestos abatement at Yerwood Community Center, a canal wall replacement at the Transfer Station, a Stamford High School priority project, and a boat launch feasibility study. The meeting adjourned at 8:07 PM.
Okay. Well, it is now 7 p.m. And this is the May 19th, Tuesday, May 19th meeting of the fiscal committee, the Board of Representatives in attendance. I see Thomas Bouchard, Representative Dola Cruz, Representative Dorsey, Representative Parker Johnson, Representative Noella Pine, Representative Eric Morrison, and I am Andrew Zachary, co-chair of the fiscal committee. And with that, we have a quorum. So tonight I'll start off with agenda item number one, F32.071 for 398,695. An additional appropriation operating funding for emergency obestes abatement at services at Yearwood Community Center, 90 Fairfield Avenue. Matt, do you want to speak out on this? Sure. Happy to uh just give a quick overview. Sorry, I just I need to move this to our vote. Move item one, move out of the second. Thank you. Sorry, now we can go. So I need to remember my order and care. Go ahead. No worries. Uh uh thank you to the uh committee for taking this item up. I'll just offer just a brief overview uh timeline for this particular request. Um so we uh were pursuing a and are pursuing a renovation project at the Yearwood Center uh supported by ARPA funding uh in the course of uh that um uh renovation uh work and inspection was conducted and which uh there was hazardous building material that was uh inspected um abatement um was necessary in order for us to remove asbestos that had been uh identified in the course of that inspection. Um as a result, uh we took measures to uh immediately uh vacate the the building just out of an abundance of caution, though the the air testing uh did prove that there was uh nothing detected um at that time. We felt it prudent uh to just move swiftly um and we worked with the uh building occupant, the boys and girls club to relocate uh their services as well as other tenants within that building um and conducted uh emergency um waiver to pursue the abatement project uh that um went through the course of several weeks, which has since been uh completed and we are now um moving forward uh with with all the renovation work. Um testing has come back clear uh following um that work. However, it did require us to to move through a uh emergency waiver process, which is why we are coming to you uh following the the execution of the work. Uh we chose to leverage the blight fund uh in order to cover the cost of this abatement so that we wouldn't um eat into the funding that was appropriated for the scope of the renovation project. Um so we're before you this evening uh with that request. Thank you. Uh thank you very much, uh Director Carnones. Are there any questions from the floor? And I see we're joined by Representative Walson, ex officio. Just one of the one question from Representative O'Paunt. Yeah. Hi, Director Kignones. Could you just um remind us or just clarify what was the original assessment for the asbestos abatement, or is this the total cost, original expectation of the cost? Well, there was a budgeted amount within the I would say kind of conceptual budget of the renovation project. Some uh line item was held in anticipation for potentially um uh uh approaching asbestos in the course of inspection and renovation. However, uh when we conducted the inspection, it was it was beyond uh what that expectation was. So that's why we chose to move to a different funding source so that we wouldn't eat into uh the the renovation budget um where we would have to uh make compromises on on the overall scope. Um so um I don't know that might answer part of your question, but I think the other part is this is the totality of that um uh abatement scope at this point. Okay. And so then what happens to that set aside that was within the original budget? Is that roll into just other project costs? Yes, it stays within the the project scope. Um, and we can get further uh in terms of that. So uh you know, as you're probably aware, when we set out a budget, it's at a conceptual phase. Um, we're now in the process of designing, so we start to fine-tune those cost estimates a little bit better, and um we can get further with our our renovation. There's no shortage of um requests from from the tenant and building occupants, so um, I have no doubt we'll we'll find plenty of use for for the entire two million. Okay, great. Thank you. Thank you.