Stone Harbor Adopts $3.3-Million Bond

STONE HARBOR —A $3.3 million bond ordinance introduced last month in reaction to a referendum for a bond worth twice the amount was adopted at a regular meeting Sept. 4.
The new bond stands to cover the balance for 2007 capital projects. The grand total of the revised budget is $3,803,800; $503,800 of which is previously funded.
After the referendum June 26 on a $6.6 mil-lion bond, including $2 million for a controversial recreation facility, Mayor Suzanne Walters and Council President Barry Mastrangelo asked committee chairpersons to take another look at their capital budgets.
“We tried to break things down into routine reoccurring items, and those less routine,” Chairman of the Ad-ministration and Finance Committee Karl Guilian reported at a meeting July 17.
The revised bond was introduced at a regular meeting Aug. 7. The Beach and Recreation Committee removed more than $2 million for a planned recreation center and the Natural Resources committee took out funding for removal of exposed out-fall pipes on beaches, replacing it with funding for studies.
The new bond appropriated funds for public works vehicles including a new beach tractor, lifeguard jeep and a dump truck as well as building work that in-cludes improvements to the public works build-ing and museum.
It also funds needed computer upgrades and $100,000 for studies on the improvement of recreation buildings and facilities.
Before second reading on the bond, Councilman Karl Julian suggested council omit men-tion of “recreational buildings and facilities” and redirect the funds to equipment repair and replacement.
The suggestion was made in light of a new library offer from the county, a facility that may include some aspects of a considered recreational facility. A motion was made and language regarding “recreational buildings and facilities” omitted from the final bond.