ARPA UPDATE - FEBRUARY 13, 2023
The City of Waupun was awarded $1.17M of American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds. ARPA Funds are one-time funds meant to transform communities in their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The City must follow federal guidelines but community input is an essential part of determining distribution of the funds. The Waupun Common Council Committee of the Whole held community listening sessions to engage the public in the identification of high priority needs on January 10 and 17, 2023. An updated list of staff-generated projects for ARPA funding consideration can be found below.
The Waupun Common Council held an ARPA Workshop on January 31, 2023 to discuss priorities for funding based on the outcomes of the listening sessions. The Council identify a set of criteria used to evaluate projects eligible for funding as follows:
- Number of residents served
- Demonstrated economic impact
- Ability to sustain essential service/build community resiliency
- Ability of project to be fully funded and complete by deadline (12/31/24 obligation)
- Alternative funding available to support the project
- Level of urgency (what will happen if not funded?)
The Waupun Common Council further identified the following priorities to receive funding:
- Priority 1: Public Safety
- Priority 2: Public Works
- Priority 3 & 4: (tied by level of importance); Utility Infrastructure & Childcare
- Priority 5: Parks & Sports Organizations
Guidance from the US Treasury’s office indicates eligible uses of the federal ARPA funds include:
- Replacing lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services up to the amount of revenue lost due to the pandemic
- Responding to the significant public health and negative economic impacts of the pandemic by supporting the health of communities and helping households, small businesses, nonprofits, affected industries and the public sector recover from economic impacts
- Providing premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have experienced significant health risks because of their service in critical sectors
- Investing in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure, making needed improvements for access to clean drinking water, supporting vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and expanding affordable access to broadband internet
Restrictions on the uses of ARPA funds include:
- Funds cannot be deposited into any pension fund.
- Funds may only be used to cover costs incurred or obligated from March 3, 2021, to December 31, 2024.
- Funds must be expended to cover obligations with all work completed by December 31, 2026.
For more information on the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and spending guidelines, please visit: https://www.naco.org/resources/featured/american-rescue-plan-act-funding....
