After relying on private donors for more than three years to pay for maintenance and upkeep of the city’s 186 beach and bayside fire pits, municipal money is again part of the budget equation. City officials announced March 13 that the recent, unexpected budget surplus of nearly $17 million will allow the City Council to fully fund the fire pits to the tune of nearly $121,000 annually. The fire pits, cherished by beach residents and visitors, will be part of the city’s revised funding picture that will infuse money back into libraries, recreation centers and infrastructural needs.