Panton will receive a total of $211,340.70 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
The first half of this money—$105,670.35—was received in September 2021. The second half is expected in September 2022.
The primary purpose of ARPA funding is to support community response to and recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The US Treasury Final Rule on using ARPA funds is 117 pages long. The Overview is 44 Pages long.
Among eligible uses:
RESTRICTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
POSSIBLE USES
Investments to improve municipal business operations:
Investments that revitalize a community, making it a better and safer place to live for existing residents and to help in attracting new ones:
The first half of this money—$105,670.35—was received in September 2021. The second half is expected in September 2022.
The primary purpose of ARPA funding is to support community response to and recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The US Treasury Final Rule on using ARPA funds is 117 pages long. The Overview is 44 Pages long.
Among eligible uses:
- Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, to support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and to expand affordable access to broadband internet.
- Panton allocated $50,000 of ARPA funds to Maple Broadband. Maple Broadband is the Communications Union District for Addison County. Their goal is to ensure all residents have access to fast, reliable internet service.
- Maintain vital public services, even amid declines in revenue resulting from the crisis.
- Panton is evaluating contracts for digitization of Town land records to ensure remote access to documents required for real estate transactions.
RESTRICTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
- States and territories may not use this funding to directly or indirectly offset a reduction in net tax revenue resulting from a change in law, regulation, or administrative interpretation beginning on March 3, 2021, through the last day of the fiscal year in which the funds provided have been spent.
- No debt service or replenishing financial reserves.
POSSIBLE USES
Investments to improve municipal business operations:
- Implement cybersecurity measures.
- Purchase hybrid meeting equipment.
- Connect public buildings to broadband, as appropriate.
- Digitize land records.
- Make capital improvements to municipal buildings: ventilation, weatherization, fire safety (as appropriate - sprinklers, centrally monitored alarm systems), code upgrades including ADA compliance and measures to ensure continuity of operations during future disasters.
- Implement software changes to streamline operations and enable remote work
- Create or enhance official town websites to strengthen communications with residents.
Investments that revitalize a community, making it a better and safer place to live for existing residents and to help in attracting new ones:
- Outdoor recreation (trails, parks, green spaces, recreational facilities, etc.).
- Diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) measures to make a community more welcoming so everyone feels like they belong.
- High-quality affordable childcare to support working residents.
- Landbanking and other measures to support housing development to grow the tax base.
- Acquisition and rehabilitation of abandoned properties or greening them.
- Improvements to bike and pedestrian safety.
- Improvements to community gathering spaces.