Bridgeport moves ahead with sales and use tax ballot measure

BRIDGEPORT – A proposition to allow the city to increase its sales and use tax was amended at the regular monthly meeting of the Bridgeport City Council July 20. The amended proposition will be submitted for approval at a special council meeting on July 27, so it can meet the August 2 deadline to appear on the November General Election Ballot.
The original proposition called for an increase of .3 percent to raise the tax from its current 7.7 percent to 8 percent. That money was to be earmarked to purchase a replacement fire truck in the future. When the proposal was sent to city attorney Julie Norton for drafting her research revealed that the city was limited to an increase of one-tenth of one percent (.01). She suggested that the city add that the funds raised could be used for law enforcement and community safety.
Council person Zeke Martinez requested that the use of the funds be narrowed more to its original intent to prevent the money from being diverted for other than fire equipment purchases. Accordingly, “law enforcement” was removed from the clause leaving only fire apparatus and community safety-related services. The council still needs to approve the amended resolution
ARPA funds
The city identified three uses for some of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds it has been allocated for pandemic relief. Those include hose couplers for the fire department, a mat storage unit for the swimming pool, and electronic entrance equipment for the administration building.
The main thing is getting the main entrance ADA compliant,” said clerk/treasurer Judy Brown.
In answer to a question from mayor pro-tem Matthew Schuh Brown said the three projects will use less than $100,000 of the first-year $200,000 APBA allotment.
“We’ve got another $365,000,” Brown said of the Total APBA funds available.
Council person and pool manager Jackie Hentges asked if an automated external defibrillator (AED) was included with the pool equipment purchases. With the price of some AEDs now below $1,000 Hentges has been recommending a unit at the pool. It was suggested during council discussion that units also be considered for city hall, library, and public works. The council approved the APBA expenditures and added AED units to the list.
Project commitment
Council approved a commitment to complete the current water tower project so it can get funds for it from the state.
“The Department of Commerce (DOC) does not want to fund any project that will not be completed,” explained Brown. “They are holding up $3.2 million on the water tower contract right now pending this commitment from the city.”
The city responded with a former budget resolution to satisfy the DOC requirement.
Stormwater
Public Works Superintendent Stuart Dezellem reported that the state has approved a $67,000 stormwater grant that only requires $9,000 from the city in a low-interest loan. The problem is that city engineer owing to the COVID delays the funds probably will not be available until winter 2023.
“Stormwater is a utility. We don’t have a stormwater utility,” said Dezellem. “Any money we spend has to come out of the general funds.”
Dezellem asked council to consider fronting the money to begin work sooner to address flooding events along Raymond and Fisk where residents have experienced two recent stormwater runoff problems. He suggested that one solution might utilize open ditches on both sides of the streets with culverts under driveways the way it was handled in the past when he was growing up in Bridgeport.
Dezellem cautioned that if the city does not come up with its own solution it may be forced to create a separate stormwater utility in the future where all city residents pay a monthly rate to address stormwater runoff that does not affect every ratepayer.
WWTP and Second Reservoir
Dezellem said recent equipment and supply delivery commitments for the wastewater treatment lab and second water reservoir have allowed work to proceed on both. It should allow work to move inside the lab by early December. Work on the reservoir tank foundation was scheduled to begin last week.