The City of Jacksonville is going to receive a shot in the financial arm in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Andy Ezard announced during Monday’s City Council meeting that the City has been tapped to receive funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Ezard says the funding to our local government is from the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund.
“We are going to get approximately two point five million dollars. There’s a lot of rules as far as how you can use that money. My understanding is that it will come in via two payments, and the projects will have to be completed by the end of 2024.
We haven’t had an opportunity to really read all through the rules. At last count, there were thirty-eight pages. I just wanted to let the council know that if they have something on their radar as far as a project, and if it meets the criteria of this money then we can take a look at it.”
Ezard says he knows that infrastructure needs would probably qualify for use of the funding. He says the city will have future discussion and a list of possible projects to share with members of the council.
Ezard says by the next council meeting, the city will have the particulars on what uses the money can be spent on.
“I know Community Development Director Brian Nyberg was on a webinar yesterday, and I haven’t had a chance to talk to Brian because we are working on something else that takes precedent. But I’ll get with him and our consultant Jeff Torcelli and then some of our department heads for what the needs are.
But we always compile lists. We know what needs to be done, if it’s more water and sewer efforts, locating them in different ways, or if it’s street projects. I just don’t know exactly what this money could be used for. But we are going to use it wisely and with the council’s help in identifying potential projects.”
Information on funding amounts was received by local municipalities yesterday morning, with South Jacksonville Village Mayor Tyson Manker announcing the Village is set to receive just under 211 thousand in ARPA Funding.
Ezard says he wanted to get the news on the Council’s radar last night for thought on possible projects because, “if the federal government is willing to give us money, we are going to spend it and spend it wisely.”