New street sweeper part of W’burg city budget

The Williamsburg City Council is hoping to clean up this town, or at least the streets any way.
City Council members voted unanimously Monday evening to purchase a remanufactured street sweeper for $58,600, and to budget $151,000 for the street department in an effort to help keep city streets neater over the coming fiscal year, which starts July 1.
Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison said a new street sweeper would have cost between $90,000 to $100,000.
During Monday’s monthly meeting, the council also approved the first reading of ordinances approving the new budget, and the tourism commission budget.
The new city budget totals $2,051,000, including $462,500 for the general fund, $670,600 for the police department, $289,400 for the fire department, and for a reserve of $68,000.
The Hal Rogers Family Entertainment Center is expected to generate $908,000 in revenues with $900,000 in expected expenses.
The Williamsburg Tourism Commission will have a budget of about $497,000, including $408,000 from the restaurant tax, and $77,000 from the motel tax.
The tourism budget includes $252,000 to pay for the indebtedness on the waterpark.
Harrison said that overall he feels that finances are in good shape for both the city and the tourism department.
City officials scheduled a second reading of the budget ordinance during a special meeting set for June 27 at 4 p.m. Harrison announced that there will be no July meeting.
In addition, the city also received an update on construction of the Bills Woods Park, which will be located off of Cumberland Avenue.
Harrison said a fountain has been purchased for the park, which will be installed in two to three weeks. Committee members have been talking with people about landscaping the park, and hope to have that done sometime this summer, Harrison added.
In other business, the council:
• Recognized former city manager Jo Ann Roberts for her 17 years of service to the city with a plaque of appreciation.
• Scheduled a June 28 ceremony to dedicate the new gym at the tourism center. The new gym floor is largely made from recycled tires.
• Discussed the possibility of forming a five-person economic development board at the urging of council member Donnie Witt, but took no formal action.
• Appointed a committee composed of council members Paul Estes, Chet Riley, and Laurel West to study whether the intersection at Third Street near the old post office should have a four-way stop, rather than the current three-way stop.
• Approved the new city logo, which will feature city hall and the fire department, along with the new city logo, “Williamsburg … Feels Like Home.”
During a special called meeting June 2, the council met in executive session for nearly an hour and 10 minutes to discuss a personnel matter, but adjourned without taking any action.
“We have a problem, and we are dealing with it,” said Harrison, who declined to reveal any details of the closed session to members of the media.
The council didn’t take the matter up again at its regular monthly meeting Monday.