MORGANTOWN — The City of Morgantown expects to receive $11.2 million through the American Rescue Plan.
Now it’s asking for your plan on how best to spend it.
City Manager Kim Haws has laid out a tentative timeline during which the city will solicit public feedback regarding Morgantown’s portion of the $1.9 trillion federal handout.
“There are groups that are really expecting to have a voice in this process, and I want to give them that voice,” Haws told Morgantown City Council.
According to Haws, the city will take feedback via an online poll from Aug. 1-21. He said there may potentially be a public meeting during that time as well, possibly Aug. 18.
Then, Sept. 1, a public meeting will be held on a draft plan developed as a result of the online poll and public meeting.
On Sept. 21, the refined plan would go before council for consideration.
“What I’d like that to be is a list of projects that we feel would be eligible for funding that we could allocate a certain amount of money to,” Haws said.
The city has received the first of two $5.6 million installments and expects the second next spring or summer. It has until Dec. 31, 2024 to obligate the money and until Dec. 31, 2026 to actually spend it.
Haws said how the funds can be generally allocated.
“The local, physical recovery funds … may be used to support public health expenditures, address the negative economic impacts of COVID caused by the public health emergency, replace lost public sector revenue, provide premium pay for essential workers and invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.”
He noted the money presents an opportunity to leverage joint projects with entities like MUB and the Monongalia County Commission, which received its first ARP allotment of $10,256,946.50 last week.
Assistant City Manager Emily Muzzarelli said that in addition to the survey, residents will be provided access to documentation explaining the purpose and proper expenditures of the funds.
“There’s always grey areas, and I think we’ll be working closely with the state auditor’s office once we develop, as a community and a council, those priorities that we’d like to work on and that meet all requirements of the funds,” she said.
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