MANSFIELD — Mayor Jodie Perry is looking for suggestions for how to allocate the city’s final $2 million-plus in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
There are some caveats.
First, the money can’t be spent on just anything since most of the remaining federal dollars are considered “regular ARPA” and have more restrictions attached in terms of how the funds can be expended.
In 2021 and 2022, the city received a total of $20.8 million in ARPA funds, half of which was considered “revenue replacement ARPA,” which allows broader uses to help restore government services to pre-pandemic levels.
Secondly, and perhaps even more importantly, the clock is ticking. All projects funded by ARPA must be appropriated by the end of 2024. And all ARPA projects must be completed by the end of 2026.
That means the remaining ARPA money will not be used for a new city swimming pool.
“We have got to make some decisions very, very quickly,” Perry said this week.
The remaining funds were initially allocated by City Council.
Local lawmakers approved $1.5 million in May 2022 to help the North End Community Improvement Collaborative pay for a north end community center. The NECIC is still trying to raise funds for the project, pushing it beyond the ARPA timelines.
Council also appropriated $900,000 in ARPA for a water project that needed a matching grant in order to do it. Perry said that grant didn’t materialize, so that money is back on the table.
At the City Council meeting on Tuesday, the mayor said she was seeking suggestions within the next couple of weeks.
“We would still like to see at least a good chunk of that money be invested into the north end,” the mayor said.
“Most of (the administration’s) conversations have been around projects in the parks,” Perry said. “We’ve had a couple of other things that we’ve kicked around, but I believe that you’re going to see the majority of it (in the parks).
“I definitely want to stick true to the original intent, which was to make a significant investment in the north end. On our drive arounds recently, we looked at John’s Park, we looked at King Street.
“Of course, there is Liberty (Park), which isn’t in the traditional north end.
“You know, $2 million can either get eaten up really quickly or you can do a lot of the playgrounds and some of the other things that we’ve done this year. They have have been quote unquote “small projects,” but they’ve had a big impact,” the mayor said.
“I’d like to see us take maybe a mix of those, some that will be small quick projects, but at least something more significant as part of it, too,” Perry said.
The mayor acknowledged the need and desire for a new municipal pool. But the ARPA timing will not work, she said.
“I wish it could. I wish we would have a little more time. Obviously to have that much money to put towards (a pool) would be great.
“But there’s just no way we’re going to get that project done before December of 2026,” she said.
