The agenda for Monday’s City Council meeting is a good example of how big a difference just one word can make on the road to completing a major project.

 

One item in particular has been on the agenda at least once a month for quite a bit of time. It’s there once again as Council will consider and act on approving a payment to the general contractor for The Bridge Sport Complex, The Albert M. Higley Company out of Cleveland.

 

Council is expected to approve the payment of $707,912.43 just as it has approved previous monthly payments. This however, is the final April payment to Higley.

 

“It’s good to cross the finish line,” City Manager Randy Wetmore said. “It’s a sense of accomplishment for all of us, for staff, for Council, Higley and all the subcontractors, the architects, everybody feels good especially when you take a look at the building, it came out really nice.

 

“When we had the first tournament out there a couple of weeks ago and when we walked in and we saw the kids having a good time and the parents having a good time, that’s when you say, ‘This was all worth it.’”

 

There will be plenty of other business for Council to attend to on Monday including a revision to the fiscal year 2021 general fund budget.

 

“It will be a pretty big budget revision,” Wetmore said. “What it is that we had some carry over, rather substantial and part of the reason for that is that when COVID hit, we cut back on a lot of expenses and we carried that on for quite a while.

 

“This is an opportunity to undertake some projects, buy some equipment that we probably would have of during that time or it’s an opportunity that things have changed and we can buy some things that will improve our operations.”

 

One other budget item is on the agenda, the consideration and acting upon for the 2122 cemetery fund budget.

 

Council will also have a handful of reappointments to consider – Joe Timms to the Utility Board, Frank Sutton to the Development Authority and Doug Miley to the Fire Civil Service Commission.

 

The first ordinance establishing the grade/step salary schedule for City employees, which would be effective June 11, will be read.

 

Council will also discuss the Utility Board’s recommendation to increase the five Bridgeport Utility Board Members salaries, effective July 1. The recommendation is to increase the compensation from $50 to $100 per month for four board members and an increase from $100 to $150 per month for one licensed professional engineer.

 

Monday’s meeting will begin with an invocation by Nathaniel Lutyens followed by The Pledge of Allegiance.

 

After the approval of minutes from the May 24 meeting, there will be reports by the Mayor and City Manager. The floor will then be open for public comment before moving on to the rest of the agenda.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo of some of the exercise equipment at The Bridge, courtesy of the The Bridge's Facebook page. Bottom photo of Wetmore from a recent Council meeting.