Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select Board signs FEMA bridge-grant paperwork, reviews ARPA obligations and approves wage study plan
Summary
The board signed a FEMA subrecipient document for a bridge grant, reviewed ARPA spending obligations and agreed to commission a wage/compensation study to inform salary adjustments; members also set a monthly budget-review schedule.
The Kingston Select Board on March 24 signed required paperwork acknowledging the town as a subrecipient for a FEMA bridge grant and discussed several finance items: ARPA fund obligations, a plan for regular budget review and a proposed townwide wage/compensation study.
Paula (finance) explained the federal award totals $1,186,912.80 (90 percent of a $1,318,792 project) with the town’s non-federal share at 10 percent ($131,879.20). The board authorized the chair to sign the subrecipient documents necessary for federal processing; members emphasized this is a step in the process and further state and federal approvals remain.
Paula also reviewed ARPA obligations, noting the town has obligated nearly all ARPA funds and that new payments (for example, a $20,000 payment to Unitil) were being processed. She warned that funds not spent must be returned under program rules and that obligations are tracked carefully in quarterly or annual reporting.
On budget oversight, the board agreed to make departmental budget reports a standing item and review them monthly at the third meeting of the month; Finance will flag items of concern for board follow-up. The board asked the finance office to highlight at-risk line items in future reports.
Regarding compensation, Select Board members agreed to proceed with a contracted wage/compensation study, aiming to complete it by mid-summer to inform budget and pay decisions. The board discussed that a pool of roughly $83,350 had been set aside to address salary adjustments (including benefits and FICA implications) and that any raises are likely to be retroactive to April 1 if awarded; department heads will complete performance reviews to inform recommendations.
Why it matters: The FEMA paperwork advances a major infrastructure grant; ARPA fund tracking affects available capital; and a compensation study will guide personnel costs and budget planning.
No additional votes were required beyond signature authority for the FEMA subrecipient document; the board asked staff to return with the wage-study draft RFP and to institute monthly budget reports.
