The Franklin Town Council has approved a plan for spending the remainder of its American Rescue Plan Act funds received during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The town received $1.3 million and has $416,025 remaining. According to federal regulations the funds must be allocated by Dec. 31, 2024, and spent by Dec. 31, 2026.
Last month Mayor Jack Horton asked the staff to put together a list of possible projects that ARPA funds could be used for. During the Town Council meeting on Monday, Finance Director Sarah Bishop said with input from the council and staff they prioritized the list according to what would be the best use of the funds as they were intended to be used to benefit the public good.
Bishop said some of the infrastructure projects that were suggested were not feasible because there might not be time to advertise for bids and award contracts before the Dec. 31 deadline. She did note that some of those improvements could be paid for from the fund balance as part of the implementation of the town’s new Fund Balance Policy. Earlier this year, the town adopted a policy that at least 80% of the town’s operating expenditures would be kept in the fund balance with anything above that available for capital expenditures.
The town used its ARPA funds to provide premium pay for all employees in 2021. Other ARPA expenditures include purchase of land from Mainspring Conservation Trust for the Greenway extension, sidewalk improvements on Maple Street, Phillips Street and Harrison Avenue, engineering for water treatment plant improvements and engineering for the Clyde Street water line project.
The projects approved for the remaining funds include (listed in order of priority):
$250,000 for the Wilkie Street sewer line construction.
$12,000 Dell Switch (computer/IT) needed for operations.
$75,000 for alleyway improvements downtown.
$5,000 for a new heating and air unit at Memorial Park. Bishop said the old unit went out just before the close of the 23-24 fiscal year.
$50,000 to replace a generator at the fire department. Bishop said the current generation is a 1986 model. If the power goes out, the roll-up doors at the fire department do not function and could lead to delays in call response.
$8,300 to replace an outdated PVC waterline on Ridgefield Drive.
$17,600 to replace a galvanized waterline on First Fairway.