The City has identified 10 areas in which it proposes to spend more than $35 million in this first phase of funding obtained from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The projects that would be funded will be posted live on Monday on the City’s ARPA website – lynnarpa.com – and include parks, roads, housing, early childhood programs and public safety, among others. Parks would be the biggest beneficiary, with $18.2 million in improvements planned.
In total, the City will receive approximately $75 million in ARPA funds over the course of the next two years. All of the funding must be committed by Dec. 31, 2024 and fully expended by Dec. 31, 2026.
To date, the City has dedicated $13.5 million to improving the air quality in municipal buildings by replacing and upgrading HVAC systems; $500,000 was used to purchase rapid COVID antigen test kits; and $3 million was allocated to the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (EDIC) for small business relief grants.
With almost $52 million left to spend, whatever is left after this round of projects – approximately $23 million – will be used in subsequent allocations starting this fall.
“Our goal is to maximize the positive impact these one-time funds will have in our City,” said Mayor Jared C. Nicholson. “We appreciate all the feedback we have received so far and look forward to further input from residents and stakeholders as we finalize these expenditures.”
Residents are invited to complete a survey on the web site in order to weigh in on the proposed projects. This follows extensive outreach efforts that went into compiling the list, including canvassing neighborhoods, communication through press releases, email blasts and social media, virtual meetings with community groups, and in-person community meetings in each ward.
In February, a community survey was developed and distributed to help the City develop a transparent, strategic, and equitable plan for allocating the ARPA funding. The survey was designed for the purpose of understanding the impact of the pandemic on residents and to gather a sense of stakeholders’ priorities for COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. In May, the public was invited to attend several workshops to help submit their project suggestions and proposals.
“Our goal was to make this a fair, inclusive and transparent process,” said Councilor-at-Large Brian Field, the liaison for the City Council for ARPA funding. “Educating the community about ARPA funding helped us get to where we are today. We look forward to seeing the process continue to move forward.”
The survey at lynnarpa.com will remain open through June 30. There will be a community meeting to discuss the proposal and get more survey responses on June 28 and the City Council is scheduled to vote on the expenditures July 12.
In addition to parks, other areas of significant investment would be improvements to water systems, roads and sidewalks ($5.4 million), creation of affordable housing and a study to prepare the City’s inclusionary zoning proposal ($4.96 million), and capital improvements and expansion of a pre-school education center at Lynn Economic Opportunity ($3 million).
“These proposed one-time expenditures are targeted at long-term priorities and urgent needs, such as improving parks and roads, addressing the cost of housing and making the City cleaner, all of which have been highlighted by feedback from the community,” Nicholson said. “The impact will be felt by generations to come. We appreciate Councilor Field’s hard work and leadership as the Council liaison in helping us ensure that all residents and stakeholders have the opportunity to have input in the process.”
