Pembroke Park shifts ARPA money, amends budget and restores 20th Street pump station to project

Mayor Mohammed and the Town Commission on April 20 approved changes to the town's ARPA allocation and a related budget amendment intended to ensure a planned pump station on Southwest 20th Street is completed as originally permitted.

The commission voted to move $100,000 from a community-center line into the contribution for the 20th Street pump station, increasing the ARPA allocation for that item to $600,000 and reducing a separate line for the community center. The commission then approved Resolution 2025-014, the town's fiscal-year budget amendment as amended to reflect the ARPA change; staff said the revenue line that had read $1,026,213 will now read $926,213 and the ARPA line will read $600,000.

The change followed a sustained discussion among commissioners and public works staff about drainage needs on the town's east side and the risk of federal clawbacks if allocated ARPA funds are not committed and spent. "The point is get the dang money out the door as soon as humanly possible before forces out of our control," the town manager said during the debate. Commissioner Jacobs repeatedly urged prioritizing stormwater work and argued the town should not draw down enterprise reserves when federal ARPA funds can be used.

Deputy Director of Public Services Manny Larzewald told the commission the pump station and other public-works equipment are critical to preventing sewer spills and repeated emergency costs. He described how an on-site jetter/vac truck would allow the town to schedule regular drainage maintenance and respond faster to sewer breaks; he estimated renting such services can cost about $2,000 per incident. "That's one of the vital tools that the town would use simply for drainage maintenance," Larzewald said.

As part of the package, the commission also voted to amend its earlier construction award for the Southwest 20th Street stormwater improvement project to restore the original scope of work.…