The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Working Group at a September 22 meeting approved $485,000 towards housing stabilization, a pavilion and bathroom at Dickinson Park, a bike park, sidewalks on Glen Road, and doors and security cameras at Edmond Town Hall.

A bike park at Fairfield Hills was approved unanimously for $75,000.

The Department of Human Services requested $20,000 for housing stabilization, as there has “been more need in the past years to help residents with housing needs.” The request was approved unanimously.

The ARP working group has granted a request of $125,000 to Edmond Town Hall, of which $81,800 will be used for building doors and $43,200 will be used for cameras.

A request for two sections of sidewalk in Sandy Hook was addressed by the working group, with section one having a projected cost of $215,000 and section two having a cost of $525,000.

Section one goes from 8 Glen Road to 22 Glen Road; section two goes from 4 Riverside Road down to the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial. Working group members expressed concern that section two “might not be priced correctly and would cost more.” The ARP Working Group unanimously approved an appropriation of $215,000 for section one of the project on Glen Road.

The Parks & Recreation Department is requesting an increase of $50,000 to its previously approved request of $150,000 for Dickinson Park and pavilion upgrades. The additional request is coming due to the increased cost of the necessary building supplies.

The request will ensure that the pavilion roof will be replaced, the pavilion painted, and a replacement of a roof on a bathroom at the park which is leaking.

Working Group and Board of Finance member Erica Sullivan reported to the BOF that the working group is asking the fire department “to give more feedback on ideas” and have tabled a Public Works ask for a six wheel, eight ton dump truck estimated at $240,000.

The Town began with $7.6 million in ARP funding and, assuming the new spending is approved by the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, and Legislative Council, has so far approved approximately $6.5 million of that. That leaves approximately $1 million in the fund. The town has until 2026 to spend all the funding.

Previously, the town government bodies approved $300,000 for a bucket loader for the Department of Public Works; $100,000 towards tutoring assistance; $20,000 for youth enrichment through the United Way; $90,000 for a senior citizen bus; $1.5 million for a water distribution center at Fairfield Hills; $190,000 for a roof replacement of the multi-purpose building; $50,000 to replace or repair some underground fire suppression tanks; a $325,000 reimbursement to the town’s self-funded insurance for costs of COVID; and $40,000 for COVID-related supplies.

Also, $200,000 for improvements at the transfer station; $100,000 for improvements at the municipal center; $90,000 for a dump truck for the Parks & Recreation Department; $150,000 for a refurbishment of the Dickinson Park pavilion; $75,000 for outside storage at the community center; $155,000 for a patio at the community center; and $16,000 for lift assist handicap-accessible doors at the senior center.

In addition, $15,000 in grants was approved for each of four town volunteer fire companies, Newtown Underwater Search and Rescue (NUSAR), and Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps (NVAC). Newtown Hook & Ladder is getting an allocation of $15,000 in ARP funds from the Borough of Newtown.

First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said the focus has been on using the money for things that the town was already planning on spending money on, “rather than open up the floodgates for things we never would have considered.”

“While we can’t use the money to reduce taxes, we can help the taxpayers by using the money on things we were going to do anyway,” said Rosenthal.

Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.