POTSDAM — The town and village will use joint project funds they are to receive from Brookfield Power Corp. to repave the Pine Street Arena parking lot.
The municipalities had discussed using other Brookfield money that is earmarked for economic development for the $80,000 project.
Trustee Abigail D. Lee was the only member of the Empire Zone Administration Board to vote against a resolution to use the economic development funds to smooth over the pothole-studded lot last week.
At the time, she said the paving should be paid for from the joint project fund, not money that could be used to spur economic growth. That fund was empty Aug. 13, while the economic development account held $470,000.
Brookfield called town and village officials two days later, to say that it plans to make a $1 million payment to the municipalities, replenishing the joint projects account.
"I thought it should not come from the economic development fund, but I can support this because I think the arena parking lot needs to be paved," Mrs. Lee said.
The village Board of Trustees voted 4-1 to fund the Pine Street lot rehabilitation through that account Monday night.
Trustee Steven W. Yurgartis dissented. He wrote an e-mail to administration board members last week, suggesting that the board reduce the project cost by paving only half the lot and requiring the recreation department, which runs the arena, to kick in money.
"It's too much public money to be spent to pave a lot that spends most of its time empty," Mr. Yurgartis said.
Town and village highway crews plan to tear up the existing asphalt on the lot, crush it and use the material as a base for a smooth stone and oil surface.
Village Planning and Development Director Frederick J. Hanss told trustees that it was probably better to save the economic development money for projects that save or create jobs, like ZAB's recent funding of Potsdam Specialty Paper Inc.'s purchase of MeadWestVaCo's Unionville plant.
"Holding those funds in reserve is, I think, prudent," Mr. Hanss said. "But I think everybody agrees the whole arena lot needs repaving."
