The New Fairfield Town Board of Selectmen (BOS) announced last week that it will set a date for voting on the use of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds the Town has received at its October 11th meeting.
ARPA was signed into law in March of 2021. A $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package, it is intended to help communities across the country recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The BOS will be setting a date for voting on the slightly more than $4 million the Town received as a result of the passage of the ARP.
Some of the proposed budget items to be voted on include:
$1.6 million for sewer design and permits
$455,000 for Company A firehouse
$615,000 for public safety improvements
$700,000 for beach house renovations
$150,000 for small business grants
$265,000 for public health and safety personnel premiums
$150,000 for the Ball Pond watershed
$60,000 for a fire marshal vehicle
$25,000 for a community center feasibility study
$25,000 for an emergency housing fund
The Board also announced that the vote on these items will be by machine vote between the hours of 8 AM and 8PM, though the date of the vote has yet to be determined.
The announcement came at the September 22nd meeting of the BOS. Other minor pieces of business included a line item correction in spending that had originally been posted to the Zoning Board of Appeals legal department, but which was meant for the inland-wetlands department. No additional monies were allocated, as the error was simply a line item error, explained Finance Director Olga Melnikov.
The town also hired three new part-time dispatchers at its special scheduled meeting on September 30th. “This is great news…I’m thrilled about this,” said First Selectman Pat Del Monaco.
The next regular New Fairfield Board of Selectmen meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 13, 7:30. There will be a Special Town meeting held on Tuesday, October 11, 7:00 p.m., Senior Center.
By Timothy Koppe