April 9, 2026 - Pipes & Pavement
The April 9 meeting was under four minutes but it carried the single largest contract Rome's board has approved all year. $3.83 million will go to major improvements for the city's wastewater treatment system. The board also kicked off this year's street-repaving program, booked live music for the July 4th celebration, and joined a county effort to reduce domestic violence. Corporation Counsel Gerard Feeney was not present. Nearly every item passed without discussion.
What happened at the Meeting
The dominant item was wastewater. The board approved a contract of up to $3,833,405 with Navitas, LLC to serve as the design/builder for sanitary sewer system improvements at the city's Water Resource Recovery Facility. This is among the most consequential decisions the city makes, since a functioning sewer system underpins everything from public health to development. Notably, a contract of this size passed in a matter of seconds, with no questions or discussion from the board. It follows a series of smaller engineering studies the board approved in March, pointing to a sustained, expensive push to upgrade the city's aging wastewater infrastructure.
The board also started the clock on this year's road work, authorizing the city to seek bids for the 2026 Coldmilling and Resurfacing Project. This is an annual program that grinds down and repaves city streets. This was only the first step. The actual paving contract will be awarded later, once bids come in. For residents, it's the beginning of the season's road repairs.
Summer made an appearance, too. The board booked the band Gridley Paige for a live performance at Bellamy Harbor Park on the evening of July 4 for $5,000, adding music to the city's Independence Day celebration.
On the public safety side, the police department entered a one-year partnership with Oneida County's STRIVE program (Statewide Targeted Reductions in Intimate Partner Violence) a coordinated effort aimed at reducing domestic and intimate partner violence in the community.
The only item that drew any explanation was a $94,000 increase to an engineering contract with Greenman Pedersen for the ongoing Erie Boulevard "Wheels to Heels" project, bringing that contract to $419,000. Commissioner Joseph Guiliano explained that the increase stemmed from delays. Supply chain product holdups and an early winter pushed the construction contractor's schedule, which in turn extended the engineers' inspection work and fees. He noted the firm had initially estimated $150,000 for the added work, and the city negotiated it down to $94,000.