Council committee OKs use of CPA funds for Fall River library roof repairs

FALL RIVER — With reluctance, members of the City Council Committee on Public Works and Transportation voted to recommend the use of Community Preservation Act funding to fix the leaking Fall River Public Library roof.

Now, the administration’s proposed order to use more than $375,000 in emergency CPA money has to make it past the full council — again.

In February, the council unanimously voted against approving the CPA funding for the library roof that has caused damage to the interior of the grand building.

The council instead asked the administration to find the money elsewhere to pay for the needed repairs in the city’s general fund.

The Community Preservation Committee had also reluctantly approved the emergency funding that will leave its emergency reserve account down to $110,000 from $485,000.

CPC Chairman Jim Souza told committee members that when it became clear that the city did not want to fund any of the repairs, the CPC approved the funding.

“We would have hoped the administration would offer some part of the funds,” said Souza.

Councilors had previously pointed to possible funding sources from a $1.3 million in a city reserve account and more than $7 million in the stabilization account.

Correia at the time was non-committal about finding alternative funding and two months later the library roof is still not repaired.

During Monday’s meeting City Councilor Steven Camara questioned Director of Financial Services Mary Sahady why the administration refused to use reserve money.

“In essence as I understand it, that’s sort of a rainy day account and this is a rainy day issue. So why can’t we use city tax dollars that’s in the reserve account for repairs on the project rather than tap into CPA,” said Camara.

Sahady said that the administration attempts to avoid tapping into reserve funds when possible in order for the city to build its credit rating and with the goal to up to ten percent of the operating budget in reserves, which she said has not been met.

“I’m ready to vote on it tonight, but I don’t think it’s the best way to go. The mayor seems to have dug his heels in and the city administration seems to have dug its heels in,” said Camara. “I don’t think this building ought to be sacrificial because of stubbornness on anybody’s part and there seems to be a lot of people being very stubborn rather than doing the right thing.”

City Councilor Joseph Camara, frustrated the administration spent nearly $8,000 to unsuccessfully patch the roof, said he wanted the roof fixed and “I’m getting to the point I don’t really care.”

The committee nearly reversed its decision to send the matter to full council with a positive recommendation when CPC Vice Chairman Tony Dias said that since CPA money was being used the project was a historical restoration.

Features to the project would need to resemble the original roof as closely as possible and increase the cost.

After questions from the councilors, Sahady said the administration would have to find the money to cover any costs overruns.

The exchange elicited a reprimand from Fall River Library Board of Trustees Ronald Caplain, calling the situation “a shame upon the city.”

“Since January this thing has gone back and forth, back and forth. Meanwhile the thing is leaking, the place in shambles. I can’t believe you,” said Caplain.

Email Jo C. Goode at jgoode@heraldnews.com.