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ARPA funds allowing cities to tackle long-delayed projects
OUR REGION
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Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022 7
ARPA funds allowing cities to tackle projects
BY JAMES MAYSE
MESSENGER-INQUIRER
The American Rescue Plan Act, which was passed by Congress while the country was still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, included funds for cities and counties to use as they wished, within guidelines.
Larger cities like Owensboro have been able to spread the funds around. Since the funds became available, the city has invested in water and sewer projects with Owensboro Municipal Utilities and Regional Water Resource Agency, and has funds allocated for major drainage improvements within the city. There’s also a proposed new senior center that would be connected to the Owensboro Family YMCA.
Smaller cities throughout the region also received ARPA dollars. Although the small towns did not receive millions of dollars from the fund, officials in those towns say the dollars give them an opportunity to take on projects they previously only wished they could do.
Whitesville Mayor Patsy Mayfield said the town’s two ARPA allocations have allowed quality-of-life improvements, and will help fund much-needed sewer repairs.
“We would not have been able to do anything without this,” Mayfield said.
The city of Whitesville received $140,000 in two ARPA disbursements. Whitesville officials received their second disbursement of federal dollars through APRA in June.
The second June disbursement, which was for cities with populations of less than 50,000 residents, was spread throughout the region. Greenville received $561,000 which city officials said they planned to use for infrastructure projects such as paving, bridge repair and bridge replacement.
In Ohio County, Hartford received $364,000, which Mayor George Chinn said would be used to renovate the city’s water storage tank.
“It’s been a real boom to the city of Hartford, because it’s allowed us to do some (needed) projects that otherwise we wouldn’t be able to do,” Chinn said in June, after the funds were announced.
Beaver Dam received $477,000 from the June disbursement. That was the city’s second $477,000 allotment from ARPA.
Mayor Paul Sandefur said in June the city was looking at doing sewage projects with the funds. In an August interview, Sandefur said the city plans to extend sewer lines and build a lift station to neighborhoods south of town. Homes in that area have had problems with septic systems “from Day One,” Sandefur said.
Currently, engineers are designing the work.
“We want to be very methodical” with the funds and build something that will have a long-range impact, Sandefur said.
When completed, the work will not only fix sewage issues for the existing home owners of the area, but could lead to further residential development, Sandefur said.
“We could open up another 400 to 500 acres” for housing development, Sandefur said. There appears to be a market for more housing in Beaver Dam, and the area is seeing a “boom” in interest for homes, Sandefur said.
“We have a lot going on here,” he said. “We are getting interest (from residents) in Bowling Green” who are interested in commuting from Ohio County to Warren County, Sandefur said.
The sewer project is projected to cost about $400,000. Sandefur said officials would deliberate on how to use the rest of the money.
“We have until 2024 to decide, and 2026 to spend it,” he said.
The city of Calhoun, in McLean County, received $98,075.95 in funds in June. Mayor Ron Coleman said the money will help combat the continuous challenges with the city’s water and sewage systems, which Coleman estimates were installed in the 1920s and 1930s.
The city of Island received $60,261.92 in the June disbursement, and plans to use the money for water projects such as installing generators to help keep its wastewater plant running during inclement weather, taking care of water wells that have not been decommissioned and replacing water meters.
“We have several projects that we would love to be able to get on the books and get completed,” Island mayor Vicki Hughes said. “(This) is going to help us tremendously.”
Mayfield said Whitesville officials have already replaced roofs at the city’s sewer plant and have made much-needed improvements to the city park.
The city bought picnic tables, swings and other park features. The old features were in “bad shape,” Mayfield said.
The plan with the city’s second $70,000 disbursement is to make improvements to the sewer plant.
“It’s 40 years old,” Mayfield said. With ARPA dollars, “we are able to do a lot of updates.
“We’re going to take care of that first. After that, we’ll see what’s left over.”
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