Towns choose ARPA projects

#Middlebury #ARPA #Southbury #Woodbury

ARPA funds are paying for construction of this new WPCA building at Middlebury Public Works. The building was about 70% complete at press time. (Marjorie Needham photo)

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

Middlebury resident Richard Dews’ recent inquiry to the Board of Selectmen (see “Resident inquires …” here) about the process the town has followed in deciding how to spend its ARPA funds prompted us to take a look at how three towns – Middlebury, Southbury and Woodbury – have handled the process.

Middlebury First Selectman Edward B. St. John told Dews the Board of Selectmen here had advised the public and the department heads to attend Board of Selectmen meetings with written requests for ARPA funding for required projects.

St John had announced to the other selectmen last year that part of the ARPA funds would be spent on constructing a new building for the town’s Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA). He said it needed space of its own because it always had to store its equipment wherever it could find space in town facilities.

Project Manager Peter Vaccarelli said the 7,000 square foot building attached to an existing public works structure at 1 Service Road is about 70% complete as of May 24, 2022. He said the roof still needs to be installed, but supply chain issues have caused problems for the project. He said barring unexpected holdups the building should be complete by the end of July.

Each month since the monies started being spent, St. John has presented an update of the expenditures to the Board of Finance at its monthly meetings. He also has asked selectmen to approve expenditures for the new building.

Based on the most recent monthly report, which lists expenditures through April 29, the town started with $1.15 million June 22, 2021 and now has spent $1.25 million with the overage of $100,563.97 to be applied to the second payment due in June.

The largest expenditure was $1.07 million for the new WPCA building. The second largest was $51,593 for the Mitel phone system. Next were the Fenn Farm sewer system at $29,566, Town Hall HVAC for the second floor at $29,125, fire department at $28,671, and town-wide HVAC duct cleaning at $22,198. Funds for the police department totaled $16,524.

In Southbury, the process followed was to post an online survey of residents to determine how they would like the funds spent. Then the town formed an ARPA task force that started meeting in September 2021 and presented its recommendations to the Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen. Next, the recommendations were voted on and approved by voters at a special town meeting in April 2022.

Funds were approved to be designated as follows: Pierce Hollow Village – $1,500,000; Nonprofit Grants – $200,000; Splash Pad/Pickle Ball – $346,679; Body Cameras – $300,000; Radios – $1,545,369; Security Cameras – $100,000; AV System – $100,000; Town Property Feasibility Studies – $50,000; NextGen Dispatch Software -$125,000; 3 Bay Garage – $350,000; New Town Phone System – $100,000; Bridges – $675,000; New Accounting Software – $150,000; and Storm Water Drainage – $250,000.

Per the task force minutes, Pierce Hollow Village, a planned senior housing project, requested the funds as a start in gaining access to additional funding for this project whose initial phase is expected to cost $18 million. The nonprofit grants are funds the town could draw upon for the Southbury Fuel Bank, Food Bank and Needy Fund.

The public works director requested the storm water drainage funds for a study to help solve Southbury’s drainage problem and update the GIS system to show culverts and detention basins.

The three bay garage is for the Southbury Volunteer Fire Association. The parks and rec director requested the splash pad/pickle ball funds, stating the splash pad is of interest to young families and pickle ball is becoming very popular.

The Town of Woodbury process was to form an ARPA Ad Hoc Committee. That town received $1.4 million in 2021 and will receive another $1.4 million this year. The committee sought public input via an email survey, a hard copy survey, letters to the committee and a public hearing. It also consulted with department heads.

The committee hoped to receive 260 survey responses for the results to be statistically significant. It appears there were 628 responses. The survey results can be viewed online at tinyurl.com/pxhthusk

Recommendations for the use of Woodbury’s funds were grouped by category for approval at a May 16 town meeting. Included were funds for self-contained breathing apparatus for the fire department; vehicles for the fire department and public works and a trailer for parks and rec; a furnace and HVAC upgrades;, cybersecurity upgrades and laptops the library can use for a mobile learning lab for the general public; minor paving projects; funding for their community services council, senior/food bank transportation and volunteer appreciation days; and funding for general park expenditures. See the detailed list at tinyurl.com/27fba292.

Woodbury chose to handle the ARPA funds as an additional appropriation to the 2022-2023 budget for projects identified through the committee’s work. At the May 16 town meeting, this appropriation was unanimously approved.