Williamstown Select Board Commits ARPA Funds to Mount Greylock School District ProjectOn a vote of 4-0, the board agreed to contribute about $66,000 — what remains uncommitted from the town's original ARPA grant of about $2 million — as requested by the Mount Greylock School Committee. Mount Greylock Committee Accepts ARPA Offer, Sets Vote on LatinThe Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Thursday moved forward with a proposal to fund a consultant with about $66,000 of Williamstown's American Rescue Plan Act funds. Williamstown Officials Mull ARPA Funds to Address School Race IssueThe Select Board on Monday considered dedicating some of the town's remaining ARPA funds to address an emergency situation in the local public schools. Williamstown Select Board Awards ARPA Funds to Remedy HallOn a unanimous vote, the board voted to grant the American Rescue Plan Act money to support Remedy Hall, a resource center that provides "basic life necessities" and emotional support to "individuals and families experiencing great hardship." Pittsfield Has Allocated Almost All ARPA FundsThe city has allocated $40.4 million of its $40.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds and the rest must be committed by the end of the year. Pittsfield Receives $20M For Bel Air Dam RemovalOn Friday, members of the Healey-Driscoll administration celebrated the investment of $25 million in ARPA funding — most of it going to Pittsfield — to remove eight abandoned, hazardous dams in the commonwealth. Select Board Considers Reclaiming Ladder Truck ARPA FundsDespite earlier reports from the district that the ladder truck had entered the paint booth in August, it was disclosed in a board meeting in October that the truck was far from completion. Dalton OKs More ARPA AllocationsThe town had previously decided to allocate $380,000 for sewer repairs but it was announced during the Select Board meeting on Tuesday that the sewer rehabilitation bids came in substantially lower than what was projected. Pittsfield Shares profiles of ARPA RecipientsThe city released the sixth profile, highlighting the work of Arts in Recovery for Youth (AIRY). Pittsfield Spent 30% of ARPA Funds By Second QuarterPittsfield received the funds nearly two years ago and has expended more than $12 million of the nearly $41 million award. Pittsfield Sees Significant Spending of ARPA Funds in First Quarter of 2023Fifty percent ($2.1 million) funded negative economic impacts, 32 percent ($1.4 million) public health, and 15 percent (about $682,000) infrastructure. Williamstown Select Board Directs ARPA Funds to Elementary School ProjectsSpecifically, school officials attended Monday's meeting to ask the town to support an estimated $550,000 to $600,000 project to replace the two playgrounds at the preK-6 facility. Williamstown Library Seeking ARPA Funds for Building StudyMilne Public Library officials last week asked the Select Board to allocate American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for an architect's analysis of the Main Street facility. Dalton American Rescue Plan Act Committee Makes RecommendationsThe town received ARPA requests amounting to $489,362 for purposes ranging from equipment replacement, sidewalk repairs, studies, and green initiatives. Pittsfield Council Sees Fourth Quarter ARPA Funding UsesArmstrong also highlighted the $13.8 million that was spent on the city projects, which she said resulted in no issuance of debt or impact on utility and tax rates. Dalton Police Department Getting Tasers With ARPA FundsThe board voted to approve the Police Department's request for $53,000 to replace their tasers using American Rescue Plan Act funds. Williamstown Select Board Allocates ARPA Funds to Fire Station ProjectThe Select Board on Monday voted to allocate $225,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the Williamstown Fire District's new station building project. Williamstown Select Board Allocates Part of Town's ARPA FundsThe four members of the board in attendance at Monday's meeting held off on deciding how to allocate the balance of the town's ARPA funds — nearly $1.4 million. Dalton Board OKs ARPA Funds for Sewer Project EngineeringThe Select Board voted to transfer $36,000 in ARPA funds on Monday night to supplement the $50,000 that it already has appropriated for the Dalton Division Road Sewer Project. Roads, Housing, Fire Station on Table for Williamstown's ARPA FundsTo date, the town has spent nearly $264,000 from a $2,222,000 allotment on items ranging from about $90,000 to pay for equipment to facilitate hybrid meetings at Town Hall to $384 on personal protective equipment and other COVID-19-related supplies. Great Barrington ARPA Target Housing, Health, FoodCombined with funding allocated earlier this year, the town has awarded more than $2.075 million in federal ARPA funds to local organizations. Pittsfield Council Sees 3rd Quarter ARPA SpendingAbout $1.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act expenditures were made from July to September, with 59 percent going toward infrastructure projects. Pittsfield Conservation Commission OKs Supportive Housing ProposalBerkshire Housing Development Corp. intends to build a 28-unit permanent supportive housing complex. Lanesborough Suggests School Look Elsewhere for Boiler FundsMultiple committee members asked McCandless why the school did not ask for money sooner in the ARPA process, at the annual town meeting, or in the school's own budget. The boiler cost would use most, if not all, of the town's remaining non-appropriated ARPA funds. |