Rochester City Council Meeting - March 11, 2019

The Rochester City Council’s March 11, 2019 meeting included several spending and procurement matters. Council approved the Castell water-main replacement, estimated at about $35,000, using the developer’s contractor; staff said the work upgrades an undersized line and aligns with planned water-system improvements. Council also approved a no-cost, 90-day extension of the refuse and recycling contract with Green for Life (GFL) while the city completes its review of the vendor’s proposal and considers next steps. Council approved adding an explosive-detection K9: the approximately $5,000 purchase will be funded through forfeiture funds, with ongoing expenses expected to be covered within existing department budgets. The vote results recorded for these items were affirmative.

The Downtown PSD presented a proposed renewal that would raise assessment rates by 3 cents per square foot and increase the per-property cap by $500 annually from 2020 through 2022, from $7,500 to $9,000. The additional funds would support downtown maintenance, rising health costs, and the Big Bright Light Show; its installation contractor had offered 2% increases in fiscal years 2021 and 2022. Council voted to schedule a public hearing for April 8, rather than approve the renewal itself. Separately, council approved the Rochester Fringe Fest event application for a June 7 date, with operational details still to be worked out. No contract number was identified.