City Looking Beyond 'Band-Aid Approach'
By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Bradford City Council has decided the “Band-Aid approach” to making necessary capital improvements isn’t working, so they are taking a new approach. Council approved on first reading Tuesday a bond issue that would go toward a street restoration project, replacement of the floor at the Callahan Ice Rink and improvements to several buildings including the city fire station.* City Clerk John Peterson explained that new borrowing would be $5.025 million, but the ordinance as it reads right now also includes refinancing of the city’s 2008 bonds, which brings the number up to $7.4 million. He said they won’t know until the next meeting whether the refinancing is feasible. “It will depend on the bond market at that time (of the next meeting) if refinancing our 2008 bonds is feasible,” Peterson said. He added that the city is looking at other funding opportunities for the projects listed in the ordinance. He explained, for example, that if they get a ...