The Westfield City Council met Aug. 28 to hear the introduction of the request for two general obligation bonds and ordinances that allow the bonds to be spent. The council’s next meeting is Sept. 11 to consider adopting the ordinances.
What happened: A request was made to authorize the use and sale of general obligation bonds not to exceed $6 millon that would be used to make improvements to city infrastructure that would include roads and new roundabouts.
What it means: If approved, upgrades to roads would be made that include the construction of a roundabout at W 151st and Towne Road; Thomlinson Road and Mule Barn Road would be widened; and 196th Steet would be reconstructed. A new barn at City Services would be constructed.
Westfield City Councilor Mike Johns said widening the two roads is included in the 2023 budget and questioned how the funding from the bonds requested was different from current funding.
Director of Public Works Johnathon Nail said the bond language shifts the money in the 2023 budget into 2024.
What’s next: Further discussion about the bond will take place Sept. 11 during the next council meeting and approval for adoption of the ordinance will take place.
What happened: A request was made for a second general obligation bond that would focus on vehicles and equipment expenses. If approved, funds would be used for expenses that include acquiring a fire apparatus, public safety equipment and construction of Phase 2 of a roundabout that would be at 161st Street and Spring Mill Road.
What it means: Westfield City Councilor Cindy Spoljaric didn’t approve of the bond for the roundabout. She said there was already tax increment financing that has been building funds for the project.
“Doing a GO Bond doesn’t make sense to me,” Spoljaric said. “We have a lot of other needs.”
City of Westfield Chief of Staff Jeremy Lollar said the Spring Mills project could be removed from the bond and replaced by another project or projects at an expense of $2.4 million.
“We put (Spring Mills) in there because it is ready to go,” Lollar said. “We can spend these dollars next year and we can do the same with the TIF dollars, but I don’t know if there are other projects that we could put in this (bond) that would be able to be delivered next year.”
City councilor Scott Willis said there would be flexibility on how the money would be spent but it’s important to keep the tax rate from dropping, or it would make things going forward with public safety difficult with additions to the fire department approaching.
“We’re in a critical period,” Willis said. “We really need those obligation bonds to keep that tax rate flat for a period of time to get us over this hump of a huge sure in public safety.”
What’s next: The bond will be discussed again during the place Sept. 11 meeting.
