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Commission recommends special appropriation to restore ARPA-funded 6 Butler acquisition
Summary
Planning commissioners voted to recommend a special appropriation to replace ARPA funds used temporarily on the 2025 paving contract so the city can fund the previously approved acquisition of 6 Butler Street.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted Feb. 19 to recommend a special appropriation that would replace American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds originally set aside for the city’s planned acquisition of 6 Butler Street.
City staff member Darren Callahan told commissioners the city originally could not finalize a purchase-and-sale agreement with the 6 Butler owner before an ARPA obligation deadline in December 2024. To avoid losing the ARPA allocation, the city temporarily reallocated those funds to a portion of the 2025 road-paving contract and then amended that paving contract so the funds would not lapse.
"It was not going to be possible to enter into a purchase and sale agreement with the owner of 6 Butler by that date," Darren Callahan said. "In order to avoid losing those ARPA funds ... those funds were reallocated towards funding a portion of our annual road paving construction contract." Callahan said the plan is to formally appropriate capital funds later to restore the original funding for the acquisition.
Callahan said the reallocation has "an effective zero financial consequence to the city" because the budget swap substitutes a capital appropriation for the ARPA source. The commission discussed the property's prior consideration as a potential affordable-housing site; Callahan said the developer that had previously considered the property has chosen a different site and the city was pursuing the parcel for park access and long-term planning.
After discussion, commissioners moved and seconded a recommendation for the special appropriation and carried out a roll-call vote in favor. The commission's action will be transmitted back to the Common Council as part of the capital-approval process.
Votes at a glance: motion to recommend special appropriation passed by unanimous roll call.
City staff said further administrative and permitting steps remain: the purchase still requires the normal contract, building-permit and Common Council approvals before the acquisition is complete.
