In 2021, Congress passed and President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act.
The economic stimulus bill — aimed at speeding America’s recovery from COVID — was hefty: $1.9 trillion.
A tiny slice –$8.4 million — made its way to Westport. But that’s hardly an insignificant sum.
ARPA funded 25 projects, in a variety of areas all over town. They range in cost from Town Hall Americans with Disabilities Act work ($1.7 million) to a high school/Westport Library jobs initiative ($25,000).
Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades to Town Hall are in the works. (Photo/Andrew Colabella)
The first tranche of $4.2 million included these approved projects:
- Burying Hill Beach groin: $1,300,000
- Westport Public Schools playgrounds: $439,000
- Parker Harding design and construction documents; Jesup lots design: $400,000
- Bus shelters II: $250,000
- Reimburse to the General Fund: $250,000
- Westport Public Schools outdoor classrooms: $216,056
- Allocation to the arts: $200,643
- Mental health and Human Services (stop gap): $185,000
- Bus shelters I: $150,000
- Feasibility study, West Parish/DOT site affordable housing project: $150,000
- Westport Public Schools Network Equipment: $105,974
- Cybersecurity: $100,000
- Tree trimming: $100,000
- Westport Public Schools High 5 Adventure Learning Center: $63,200
- Library technology improvements: $57,463
- High school/Westport Library jobs initiative: $25,000
(Photo/Peter Swift)
ARPA funds paid for work at Burying Hill Beach. (Photo/Peter Swift)
The total approved for those Tranche 1 projects is $3,992,335. The remaining $207,665 is earmarked for one of 5 projects in process: Jesup/Imperial parking lots design; permitting and geological evaluation for the Imperial lot.
An addition $422,335 for that project comes from Tranche 2.
The other 4 Tranche 2 projects in process are:
- Town Hall Americans with Disabilities Act: $1,700,000
- Senior Center cooling tower: $400,000
- Parks master plan: $225,000
- Wakeman Town Farm: $50,000
Four Tranche 2 projects are pending:
- Baron’s South improvements: $500,000
- Baron’s South road and parking: $300,000
- Emergency Medical Services fly cars: $160,000
- Aspetuck Health District (Bayberry Lane site) roof: $125,000
With all those projects funded, a balance of $317,665 remains.
ARPA funds will pay for improvements at Baron’s South. (Photo/Wendy Crowther)
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Ok, I’ll bite. What’s the “West Parish/DOT Site Affordable Housing Feasibility Study”? Any RTM D5 peeps know?
If this is a reference to the District 3 DOT Maintenance Facility at the corner of PRE and West Parish Road, I understand that DOT isn’t interested.
Considering that the DOT garage site is listed on the State DEEP List of Contaminated or Potentially Contaminated Sites, it is strange that the property would be considered suitable for any kind of housing!
Well great question Lisa, but it seems there’s a fund that anybody can access, which uses tax payer ( yours/mine/ours ) to remediate contaminated sites. For free to the developer, the one our very own mc Hamlet is going to profit a 12 million dollar bounty from.
Annoying ? No infuriating.
Buy up every defunct contaminated site you can get your hands on.
The Connecticut tax payer will fund its remediation.
Actually, there is $160,000 in there for fly cars.
I have seen many flying Porsches around
There should be money in there for 06880.
Oops.. make that Backiel, not Babkiel.
Thank you so much, Dan, for outlining the Support for local projects coming from the Federal Government in Recovery Funds Programs. Just stating the facts in such a comprehensive way is not a political statement, it’s a facts of life statement. I hope it gives pause to anyone wondering which kind of government they want to HIRE TO WORK FOR US- each township and local budget funding quest- come November.
Time to get out of the coffee room squabbles and down to business about the JOB the Federal Government is supposed to be doing to SUPPORT THE PEOPLE- all of us!!
Good Business does not require Wind Fall Tax Cuts to survive!!
GOOD BUSINESS SERVES THE PEOPLE AS MUCH AS GOOD GOVERNMENT SHOULD!!
People require respect and consideration in every stage of life and with every consideration of humanity’s expression of itself in the fabric of life and consciousness.
When those are the parameters of existence, the solutions to problems show themselves as the problem is defined by life and responsible living. Genious is not required. True, honest, responsiveness is.
For a long time now, the accent has been on the wrong Syll-a-ble!! The TRUE FUNDAMENTALS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN. THEY WERE NEVER MYSTERIES!!
If they have to be sold as some kind of one person only ‘Magic’, forget it!!! It’s too complicated to have anything to do with ‘Nature’- the REAL WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN!!
We are, after all, just one species of animal in the natural world. It doesn’t ’belong’ to us truly, we, like cockroaches and giraffes are only one expression in the pantheon. Trouble is, somebody thought they heard we were OWNERS of it all, not just the gardener!!!
I think that many cities and towns used this money for infrastructure (items that should have been on their CIP list) and I find it difficult to believe that these projects directly benefited those most impacted by COVID. Municipalities saw this as a windfall to their general coffers – not the actual intent. Small businesses; service employees; students; and low income folk were most impacted.
What is a beach groin?
It’s an unfortunate name for a pier-like structure built off a beach, used to maintain updrift beaches or restrict sediment movement.
A number of these “projects” seem fictional or, like the Baron’s South road endeavor, based on what was a low ball number a decade ago.
Thank you, Dan. The news that $1.7 million dollars has been allocated for American Disabilities Acts improvements at Town Hall is a cause for celebration. The disabled in our community (full disclosure, I was once among those with serious mobility and sight limitations) represent an ever-growing number of underserved residents and visitors.
As a planning, zoning and building code professional, I am and always have been, keenly aware of best design practices to accommodate the needs of the physically disabled. My bond with the late Dana Reeve, wife of the late actor Christopher Reeves, was forged by our common recognition of the dearth of fundamental resources to serve the most basic needs of the physically handicapped: safe and convenient access to all public buildings and venues.
When the new Town Hall on Myrtle Avenue first opened in 1979, the elaborate and very expensive wheelchair ramp was hailed as an innovation. Today, any visitor who is chair bound or sup-ported by crutches, walker or cane, who negotiates the ramp will likely find the entrance at the end barred by a locked door.
For visitors or staff with mobility issues accompanied by constant pain that worsens with every step, a trip to our single-entranced Town Hall during the pandemic required monumental motivation to make the long walk from the parking lot, up the stairs to an entrance door with hardware so dysfunctional that gaining entrance posed a challenge to anyone with average strength.
While this announcement may be good knews to all who will benefit from the improvements, even better news would be a promise to execute the project with all due haste.
Gloria, you likely know the answer to this: if memory serves, in the event of a fire, the Town Hall elevator is supposed to recall to the main level, thus, in theory, stranding anyone with mobility issues in the basement level. Is that still the case?
Great reporting and information Dan. Sadly, the American Rescue Plan Act was advertised by the President to “intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic” and “enable small businesses to remain afloat” during that difficult time. The funds, as usual, took forever to make their way into the local economies to truly have a meaningful impact to combat COVID’s effects, and the projects listed by Dan have zero to do with COVID and/or helping small business stay afloat. The lesson as always: Beware of government stimulus programs!
So, who made the actual choices about where the money was used? Wasn’t that local government?
Is that where the disconnect was??
Aka special interests?
Exactly Warner ! Special interests !