The Binghamton City Council voted unanimously to distribute $800,000 in unspent federal funding Wednesday night.
The money is from the federal Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG). The City Council was proposing to spend the funds to address five different needs in the city.
About a dozen residents attended the council meeting.
Residents who spoke during the public hearing only mentioned support for three projects.
No one spoke in opposition to any of the proposed allocations.
The five proposals are:
- $120,000 for the warming center at the United Presbyterian Church
- $180,000 to replace the only elevator at the Family Enrichment Network
- $285,000 to help the City to buy the former St. Mary’s rectory. It will then be leased to Binghamton University to expand the Harriet Tubman Center.
- $100,000 to the Broome County Urban League to finish renovation of six affordable housing units
- $115,000 to the Binghamton Fire Department to help buy two new emergency response vehicles.
Republican Mayor Jared Kraham and the all-Democratic city council have been at odds over how the CDBG funds should be spent since last year.
In other business, the council voted unanimously to rename Columbus Park to Center City Park.
A resident asked for a name change to be considered last year. Since then the council has held a town hall, where council members heard from many residents opposed and in favor of the change.
In discussion before the vote, several council members said a new name that doesn’t favor any one ethnic group’s history is the first step to revitalization of the park and the Center City neighborhood.
