The Chronicle: Courtney talks to town officials about funding | Congressman Joe Courtney
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The Chronicle: Courtney talks to town officials about funding

August 18, 2021

COVENTRY/COLUMBIA — On March 11, President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion federal American Rescue Plan Act into law, which included relief funds for municipalities.

On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Joe Court-ney, D-2nd District, met in Coventry with town administrators from Coventry and Columbia to discuss how the respective towns plan to allocate it.

The act is designed to provide broad relief to many facets of society, including emergency relief for towns and businesses impacted by COVID-19, with part of its focus on restoring jobs and enhancing safety.

Columbia was allocated approximately $1.5 million, while Coventry is working to prioritize approximately $3.6 million.

Both towns say public safety is paramount, from establishing a solid police presence to addressing air-quality concerns.

Courtney, who voted in favor of the act, said the Biden administration stands behind the municipalities.

"Biden is 100 percent in favor of using the money for public safety," Courtney said. "We want to make this work."

Columbia First Selectman Steven Everett, joined by Mark Walter, Colum-bia's town administrator, have earmarked the bulk of their share of the funding for a new Department of Public Works garage.

They're also addressing safety concerns at the Moor's Charity School museum, tackling air-quality issues at the town offices and Horace W. Porter School and purchasing a generator for the Columbia Senior Center.

Doing so would allow the senior center to serve as a cooling and heating center in the future when inclement weather strikes.

Grant coordinator and caseworker Julia McGrath, a member of Courtney's team, was present to help town administrators determine if their plans for the money fit into the act's guidelines.

"We all have to be comfortable with the plan before we commit these kinds of dollars," Walter said.

McGrath reassured them the guidelines were broad.

"You have to have that line of creative thinking with this money," McGrath said in response to Columbia's intention to invest the lion's share into public works, including a new, heated six-bay garage, adequate office space and a bathroom in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"Public works is such a huge part of what towns do," McGrath said.

Columbia would also like to make improvements to Rec Park to accommodate an increase in outdoor activities for town residents, including those with physical disabilities.

These are the types of projects precluded by many small-town budgets.

Everett said he is against the idea of bonding as a funding source for these types of projects because he is determined to "maintain the budget in a fiscally responsible way."

For Coventry, the funding will allow them to restore pre-COVID staffing levels, including the lost salary for one police officer whose position was cut from last year's budget, and possibly fund that position through 2025.

The town also intends to allocate funds for a new ambulance, to repay the Eastern Highlands Health District for the COVID clinic, and improve security due to a cyber breach earlier in the year.

They would also like to move the town's transfer station.

These are only partial lists of how the respective towns hope to spend the relief funds, half of which has already been distributed by the federal government.

Click here to read the full article at TheChronicle.com.