Schenectady City Council finalizes plan to distribute COVID funds

In a vote of 6-1 city leaders in Schenectady approved their budget to distribute nearly $15 million dollars in federal COVID funds.

The Central Park pool will receive the bulk of the funds gaining $4.5 million dollars, $3.5 Million will go towards a new irrigation system at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course and $2.5 Million will go towards the Capital Region Aquatics Center. 

Not everyone was happy with the distribution. Councilman John Polimeni voted against the plan arguing that several applicants who applied for funds were never considered.

Council President Marion Porterfield says they tried to be as fair and balanced as they could with the funds they received. 

 There was a lot of support for the Carver Community Center. The grassroots nonprofit Miracle on Craig Street has been working to re-open the Carver Community Center since they closed in 2013, but the lack of money has been an issue. Now the city is giving the center $1.25 dollars to reopen. Raè Frasier with Miracle on Craig St says the funds will be a huge benefit to the community. “Our youth are superheroes, so they are who we should be listening to and who we should be getting information from. So this kid that you saw today, he’s looking at this vacant community center and he’s wondering why isn’t it opened, and that’s our future,” said Frasier.

Frasier tells us it’s a process but they’re very excited to be able reopen the center.