New Bedford City Council OKs $1.6 million in community projects — here's what will be funded
NEW BEDFORD — City councilors approved $1.6 million in Community Preservation Act funding for 16 projects, including $187,500 for the New Bedford Whaling Museum Bourne building’s masonry repair, and $24,000 to hire a designer for city park signs.
The Whaling Museum funding had been cut but was restored by the City Council Finance Committee on May 9, with councilors Maria Giesta, Brian Gomes, Linda Morad, and Ryan Pereira voting in opposition.
That committee also voted down a motion May 9 to cut the $24,000 sign-designer funding in a 6-5 vote, with councilors Naomi Carney, Maria Giesta, Brian Gomes, Linda Morad, and Ryan Pereira voting in opposition.
Morad said during the committee meeting she had concerns with spending $24,000 “in taxpayer money” for signage design alone. She said a designer was unnecessary and would delay sign implementation.
Gomes agreed the expense was unnecessary, adding he had been calling for signs outlining beach rules and regulations for years without results. He said the needed signage could be created in-house or through a vinyl company for a lot less money.
“Everything is made to be a major project. This is not a major project,” Gomes said during the May 9 committee meeting.
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Mary Rapoza, director of Parks, Recreation & Beaches, said there are signs outlining beach regulations, but Gomes said they are too small.
Pereira said the park signs were needed but the price for design alone was too high. He said they should consider reaching out to Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School for the work.
Rapoza said the system-wide signs they were envisioning would include GIS information for sites of interest. It was noted in a previous meeting that the signs would provide information in three different languages, as well as braille.
“I think signs that are designed well would be much more informative to the community,” she said during the May 9 committee meeting.
She added, “It was our hope that we would have a way-finding sign that would show the parking plan, be kind of illustrative and say this is where this amenity is, this is where this amenity is, in addition to all the rules and regulations because, yes, we want people to know the rules and regulations but we also want them to know what’s available.”
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Rapoza said the overall job of creating and implementing the signs, with and without the design work included, had been quoted “well into six figures.”
Asked how the department would pay for it, she said, “We would go after grant money. That’s how we fund everything we do in the parks.”
Other projects OK’d for CPA funding during Thursday’s full council meeting included Brooklawn Skate Park design, $22,000; Cliftex II, $86,000; Digitization of Maritime Records, $14,000; Digitization of Milton Silvia Negative Collection Part II, $20,000; First Baptist Church restoration, $108,000; Gallery X exterior painting, $86,000; George Washington portrait conservation, $26,000; Holy Family High School adaptive re-use project, $175,000; James Arnold Mansion roof final phase; $100,000; LBGTQ+ Community Center handicap accessibility, $200,000; Rotch-Jones-Duff House masonry repairs, $142,900; Strand Theater restoration, $300,000; Temple Landing II, $93,600; Thomas Department Store envelope assessment, $15,000.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford Council OKs $1.6M in CPA projects: Whaling Museum, signs
