High-tech devices to pinpoint the location of gunfire. A sports facility at Shoshone Park in North Buffalo. High-speed internet. And a lot of infrastructure.
Common Council members have weighed in with their ideas on how to spend $331 million in American Rescue Plan funds coming to Buffalo.
Now, they are waiting to hear back from the Brown administration. Mayor Byron Brown has said he would work with Council members to produce a spending plan, which must be ratified by the Council before it's submitted to the federal government by Aug. 31.
Public safety initiatives emerged among many areas of interest for the lawmakers, including recreation, infrastructure and the internet.
Here's a sampling of their wish lists:
Public safety
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ShotSpotters, with 15 listening sensors per square mile, register the sound of gunfire and determine where it came from – all within a minute before alerting police. The FBI brought the system to Buffalo in 2011 for a one-year trial in some neighborhoods.
The Buffalo Police Department is looking into bringing them to the city, but funding has been an issue, said Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
Masten Council Member Ulysees O. Wingo Sr. would like to earmark federal stimulus money for the devices in his district.
“I did make the inquiry with the administration, and they informed me that, ‘Council Member Wingo, your ShotSpotter funding is in there,’ “ said Wingo.
Wingo also wants funding for the Neal Dobbins Restorative Justice program to improve neighborhood safety and encourage resident-driven crime prevention programs through targeted interventions and mentoring.
“Funding for the Peacemakers, Back to Basics, SNUG, F.A.T.H.E.R.S, MAD DADS, all of those guys to be able to hire more people to put on the ground, because I actually believe in the anti-violence interrupter model,” Wingo said.
The mayor's spending proposal calls for $6 million for the restorative justice program.
Plans for parks
University Council Member Rasheed N.C. Wyatt wants $10 million for a proposed indoor, multipurpose sports facility in North Buffalo’s Shoshone Park. Delaware Council Member Joel P. Feroleto also backs the idea.
In 2018, city officials announced a project to build an indoor multipurpose facility at the park for baseball, soccer, lacrosse and other sports.
City spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge said Brown proposed setting aside $8.5 million for the project.
Council President Darius G. Pridgen supports the upgrade of the Johnnie B. Wiley Amateur Athletic Sports Pavilion and Masten Park, calling for $23 million to be allocated for part of the city and Buffalo Public Schools master plan for construction of an athletic field, splash pad, outdoor pool, playgrounds and landscaping among other improvements.
Fillmore Council Member Mitchell P. Nowakowski wants $1.5 million to fund improvements at Father Conway, Franczyk and Emerson parks. Lovejoy Council Member Bryan J. Bollman wants $3.5 million spread evenly among Schiller, Walden, Hennepin, Houghton and Durant parks.
Wyatt is asking for $2 million for improvements at Shoshone, McCarthy and Roosevelt parks. He also wants $1 million to purchase multimedia equipment for education purposes for Gloria J. Parks Community Center on Main Street, Edward Saunders Community Center on Bailey Avenue and Martha Mitchell Community Center on Oakmont Avenue.
Infrastructure work
North Council Member Joseph Golombek Jr. said he would like to see Chandler Street rebuilt and sidewalks, curbs, sewer and water lines replaced.
“Chandler’s in a horrible, horrible state of disrepair, and with all of the development that’s been going on there, to do it right it’s probably a $1 million to $2 million project,” Golombek said.
Chandler Street is becoming a dining and nightlife destination. Abandoned factories turned into startup space and upscale loft apartments. And new businesses there have created jobs.
Pridgen also wants infrastructure improvements, particularly in the Fruit Belt neighborhood.
In the Niagara District, Council Member David A. Rivera wants permeable paving on side streets and restoring streets with pavers.
Wyatt is asking for $2 million to rebrick Niagara Falls Boulevard among other streets and $3 million to replace the median on Main Street. Wyatt also wants $5 million for street and curb improvements, including speed humps.
Nowakowski and Bollman suggested increasing the $4 million Brown proposed to $27 million to include $3 million each for their Fillmore and Lovejoy districts.
Replacing lead water lines
Brown has proposed $10 million to replace the lead water service lines in 1,000 homes – on top of those already replaced in 500 homes.
Nowakowski wants $3 million of that targeting homes in low-income ZIP codes in his district, specifically 14211 and 14212.
Bollman would also like $3 million to target homes in his Lovejoy District.
Pridgen and Rivera also identified the program as priorities for their districts. Neither provided a price tag. But Wyatt is asking for $2 million for removal of lead water lines in his district, including the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority’s Kenfield/Langfield developments.
High-speed internet
Brown proposed $5 million to install city-owned fiber-optic cable at five of the BMHA most populous housing facilities and provide free internet for three years for residents of those housing developments.
Niagara Council Member David A. Rivera wants broadband internet installed throughout his district.
Nowakowski wants $2 million for two BMHA properties in his district: Marine Drive Apartments and Commodore Perry Apartments.
Bollman is also asking for $2 million for Monsignor Geary Apartments, a BMHA property on Bailey Avenue, in the Lovejoy District.
