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PARKERSBURG -- Parkersburg City Council will consider the allocation of nearly $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for stormwater projects and the Southwood Park pool enhancement when it meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
A public hearing will also be held on the proposed 2022-23 municipal budget and the capital program. Both documents can be reviewed online at https://parkersburgcity.com/pc/services-2/finance/finance-reports/ or in the Finance Department on the first floor of the Municipal Building.
A resolution would amend the budget to reflect the actual cost of premium pay approved for city workers, while also allocating $1,894,227 to the proposed Southwood Park pool enhancement project and $1 million for stormwater management projects. The item is on the council agenda pending approval by the Finance Committee at a 6 p.m. meeting on Tuesday.
The premium pay awarded $1,000 to full-time city employees who worked during the pandemic and $500 to part-timers. The original revision was for $321,779 of the ARPA money, but the actual cost was $305,976, according to documents included with the agenda.
The money for the pool project is being classified as a reimbursement for lost revenue due to the pandemic. Government entities do not have to calculate the precise amount of lost revenue, as the rules for the funding allow a base of $10 million. However, there are restrictions on how the money can be used.
鈥淵ou cannot pump it into any sort of reserve. You have to spend it on operations,鈥� Jiles said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 put it in a pension fund.鈥�
Mayor Tom Joyce said the city still plans to seek a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant through the National Park Service to help pay for the work, but they don鈥檛 expect an answer on that for a while. This way, the city can move forward with additional public comment and design work, he said.
The city has emphasized stormwater improvements in recent years. While the allocation in the proposed budget is $250,000, just half of the current budget鈥檚 amount, Joyce has said he hoped council would approve using ARPA funds in this manner.