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Date: 7/5/2023
AMHERST — An update on the status and plans for use of money from the ARPA funds was presented at the June 26 Town Council meeting by Town Manager Paul Bockelman and Finance Director Sean Mangano.
“We are in excellent shape as a town, primarily because of the hard work put in by our community and our staff,” Bockelman said, adding that the ARPA funds that have been used so far have been aligned with the goals of the Town Council.
During the presentation, Bockelman and Mangano went over background information, reminding the board that the town received $11.9 million in ARPA funding to respond to and recover from the coronavirus pandemic. An overall rundown of where money had been directed so far was detailed. Round one of the allocations totaled $9.8 million with funds required to be obligated by December 31, 2024 and spent by December 31, 2026.
With $7 million “expended, encumbered or projected to be spent from round one,” Mangano explained to the council that $2.8m would be shifted to round two of the funding allocations.
In identifying potential use of the remaining round two funds of $4.9 million, Bockelman outlined goals and objectives that would prevent the return of any unused or non-allocated money, avoid the creation of projects that would potentially cost further money in the future but instead reduce town spending or generate revenue and continue to support needs identified by the town.
Councilors were afforded the opportunity to clarify how money had been spent or directed so far, opposed to offering suggestions for further spending.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, questions were offered regarding the specifics on the allocation of ARPA funds, Pat Ononibaku, representing the town’s Black Business Association, questioned funding for the Drake while Hazel’s Blue Lagoon, a similar Black-owned business did not receive any monies.
“What we’re doing here is not enough,” Ononibaku told the board. “We have more than $4 million on the table [referring to round two monies], let’s do the right thing, people are still hurting.”
Community members did follow Ononibaku with similar comments to the council in reference to how ARPA funds had been and are to be distributed.
Returning to council questions, Councilor Ana Devlin Gauthier inquired of Mangano what process was used to engage community feedback and what the response was. Mangano responded that were public meetings, online response outlets and listening sessions and that data could be compiled and reviewed in short order.
Councilor Ellisha Walker commented on the application process and the lack of ARPA funds allocated for Hazel’s Blue Lagoon, calling the denial of funding troublesome.
“My big hope is that when we’re looking at the monies that was allocated and not spent, let’s not just roll it over into the next round where we have a new pot of money, can we look backwards for a minute and look at all the people who didn’t get money during the first round who should have gotten money?” she asked. “Because there’s money left over, can we reopen again the businesses grant and change those requirements as well, because I think the requirements are too barring.”
Follow up discussion on the use allocation of the ARPA funding is scheduled to continue on July 17.