Board of Aldermen 02-23-2021 Page 20
numerous times with numerous committees. And every time we have said, and I’ve seen a plan some time
ago that it was either 49 or 50 or 51 spaces in the garage. And at the last meeting the builder was there and
he said it depended a little bit on the configuration of the units and sort of the final footprint of the building as
approved by the Planning Board. They want the spaces to line up with the units, so it depends a little bit on
what the Planning Board ultimately approves. But we have the commitment over, and over and over and over
again to 49, 50, or 51 spaces. We have gone over, and over, and over the idea that we are going to put 20 or
30 spaces on the street.
| think | was, more than anything, referring to the idea that there’s going to be 30 spaces in the garage. No one
has ever said that. No one has ever said that. They have said 20 or 30 spaces on the street. Now it’s
possible if you are just listening casually and not really paying attention or not doing your homework you might
think or somehow get the idea that someone had said 30 spaces in the garage, that has never been proposed,
it has never been the plan. And we are here discussing 30 spaces in the garage as a possibility, that’s never
been discussed, has never been proposed and is not a real issue. And it is things like that should have been
resolved in the Committee. Now | don’t know if two weeks means that much but | do know that this thing has
been pending for a long, long, long, time. And it has been discussed over, and over and over not only with the
Budget Committee but with the Planning Committee, with the Infrastructure Committee and we have gone over
these details repeatedly in front of many Committees.
Alderman Jette
Mayor, they are not in the agreement.
Mayor Donchess
| don’t know Alderman Jette which of these issues you have raised before, | don’t know. | know that you had a
series of written questions and we responded to them. But look, if you don't like the project, vote against it.
You know, if you don’t think it’s complete, vote against it.
Alderman Clemons
Thank you. So I’ve been listening to everything and we can’t put a number into the agreement because as
was Stated it is subject to change by the Planning Board. And in addition to that, we could put in there that’s it
is going to be 98 spaces only for motorcycles. Maybe it’s only 30 spaces for box trucks. | don’t know. It
depends on how big the vehicle is that goes in there. The point is, is that it has always been 49, 50 spaces
roughly from the time that it was originally proposed to now. But the Planning Board is going to have the final
say on the final design and everything else. But we can’t get to that point until we pass this. So my suggestion
is that we move forward with this in order to get the answers that you all are looking for. Thank you.
Alderman Dowd
| did have a conversation with Director Cummings this afternoon on a couple different subjects and one of
them was the potential lease. It is my understanding, and Attorney Bolton correct me if I’m wrong, but | believe
Attorney Leonard is doing the lease on this. | am told that it is going to basically be the agreement tonight plus
the mets and bounds of the property which has to be in all leases. And trust me, I’ve had a lot of experiences
with leases over the last year, year and a half. As far as and only Attorney Melville can probably answer this, if
they are going to start construction soon, | know that the two school projects are getting started in March or the
first of April at the latest, as soon as they can put a shovel in the ground, because the construction season
around here is not very long. And the longer you wait to get this started, as | can again from the School
Projects tell you, that costs are going up all the time. | think that from an overall benefit to the City, | think we
need to move out on this. But | will say if it is the will of the Board to move it back to Budget that | would ask
that detailed questions be developed by whoever has questions on the project, they get sent into Donna
Graham and she presents them to the entire Board of Aldermen, and the Legal Department, and Director
Cummings and the Mayor so that when we have the Budget Meeting we will have all the answers to present.
