Lumber City Development Director Jim Sullivan asked the city council this week to consider again hiring the firm that handled a recent study into future uses of the city marina, in order to go after another $1 million federal grant.

“I wanted to get it across — a lot of people have been commenting about the cost of the study but you really have to do these things in order to qualify for additional funds,” Sullivan said.

The marina study, conducted over the last year by Applied Technology and Management, cost $82,000 and was covered by a $100,000 grant.

Sullivan has asked the council to consider using a remaining balance of $2,400 toward a new contract for the firm totaling $8,800 that would be used to formerly apply for the federal grant, good for up to $1 million more for the marina.

In making the case for further business with ATM, Sullivan said the downtown redevelopment study conducted in 2006, for instance, cost $60,000 but has since helped the city leverage roughly $2.5 million in other improvements that have transformed the area in the time since.

“They feel we’re in a competitive situation,” he said of the latest proposal.

Official planning and studies regarding Gratwick Park similarly helped the city win another installment of about $300,000 in the last year as well.

“With the master plan, with marina development, with the Gratwick Park master plan, we’ve leveraged it to get more — a lot more,” he said.

Also on the council’s agenda will be whether or not to continue a contract with Belmont Shelter, longtime consultant for the city’s housing redevelopment program.

Sullivan said the city last year again secured a $400,000 grant from the state’s Division of Housing and Urban Renewal that will be used to address code violations and other issues at roughly 18 city homes.

“We’ve got a waiting list,” Sullivan said of homes with owners with low to moderate incomes already qualifying for work funded by the grant.

No reasons were given not to continue working with Belmont.

This year’s batch of 18 homes are again located in an area of the city bounded by Division, Wheatfield and Sweeney streets, in part because census data dictates some homes in that area are best suited for the public funds.

“We’ve already qualified people. Right now we’re in the process of doing work write-ups,” he said.

A third item on the agenda will be whether to accept a recent bid package compiled for the city by Bergmann Associates for a competitive grant through the state’s Main Street program, which would total $310,000.

While LCDC has been short handed, since former coordinator Chuck Bell took a supervisory role in Lockport’s community development office, Bergmann was used to put together the application.

He said such firms usually charge at least $7,000 for such work, though the package cost LCDC just $3,500.

“It looks like we’re going to be very competitive for it,” he said.