Lock Haven city council begins review for use of American Rescue Plan dollars
LOCK HAVEN, PA – Lock Haven City Council has been tasked with prioritizing some 15 prospective projects as it decides how to spend the $950,000 the city has received in federal American Rescue Plan funds.
The city administration has prepared a list of possible uses with a ballpark price tag of better than $1.6 million; it will be up to council to decide how to divvy up the federal dollars. (Better than $100,000 of the total amount will be used to cover the loss of business privilege and earned income tax receipts resulting from the COVID pandemic).
City Manager Greg Wilson told council at its Monday night meeting it has until the end of 2024 to determine how to allocate the funds. Wilson asked council to prioritize the 15 proposed projects and those that rank highest will be those that the city’s departments will begin to devote more time to in order to get more quantitative estimates and quotes. The city manager said with limited funds and unlimited ideas as to the best use of those funds, the ranking will help the city’s staff know where to start to devote their time to make the best use of this one-time resource.
He noted that the federal ARP Act now allows the funds to be used to offset the cost of outdoor recreation improvements, like parks. He said that change opens up a few more possibilities for the investment of the funds in the city in a way that could potentially transform an outdoor space for the public good as well, beyond the traditional water, sewer, stormwater, and green infrastructure that most municipalities will be making investments in with their funds.
The biggest ticket item proposed for council consideration is $320,000 for refurbishment of Triangle Park, including installation of a new gazebo to act as a bandshell in the summer and Santa’s House in the holiday season. Other projects and their estimated costs include $210,000 for installation of solar/wind powered lights on the flood protection levee (with an estimated annual savings of $11,000); $200,000 for installation of solar panels at the wastewater treatment plant (a savings of about 5 percent of electric usage at the plant); $150,000 for outdoor bottle fill stations at city parks and in the central business district; $130,000 for installation of a raised concrete platform into the existing Corman Amphitheater to replace the floating stage.
Others up for consideration include $100,000 each in grants to small businesses to upgrade strategic plans; down payment and closing cost grants to owner-occupied home buyers; and multi-modal bike racks, benches and infrastructure investment to promote walking and biking in the central business district and areas leading to Lock Haven University.
