Without a peep of debate, aldermen agreed to reimburse the state $1.75 million in ineligible costs for a 1995 school construction project.
The project in question was High School in the Community on Water Street. The reimbursement, approved unanimously by the Board of Aldermen at its meeting Monday night, included $1.5 million for a land sale that the state claimed the city had no evidence to justify. (Click here for a back story outlining the city’s and state’s arguments.)
While the details of the sale proved controversial, aldermen had no disagreement Monday over whether they should pay the state back.
“We’re stuck,” said Hill Alderman Jorge Perez. If the city refused to issue the reimbursement, the state would easily find another way to get its money back by yanking other grants, he reasoned.
In other news:
Corp Counsel Switch
A proposal by the mayor’s office to shift Acting Corporation Counsel John Ward to the the city’s economic development wing passed by a vote of 25 to 2. Before approving it, Perez said he was doing so based on a letter from the administration vowing that the switch would not leave the office of Corporation Counsel short-staffed. (Click here for a back story.)
Beach Bucks
Aldermen stood in unanimous support behind two parks department proposals: one to hike fees at the golf course; and another to allow the parks director to extend the season at Lighthouse Point Park at his or her discretion, so that the city can charge entrance fees to non-residents on warm weather days all year around. (Click here for a story on that.)