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Council closes ARPA grant program, reallocates remaining funds to Lakeview and an arts project
Summary
Lake Oswego closed a $600,000 ARPA community grant program, reallocated $41,948.19 of unspent ARPA money to the Lakeview Boulevard project and approved a $37,000 grant (from general fund after reallocation) to Respond to Racism for a phase-1 library art installation; motion passed 6-0.
The Lake Oswego City Council voted 6-0 on Jan. 7 to formally close its community ARPA grant program, reallocate remaining ARPA unobligated funds to the Lakeview Boulevard project, and approve funding to complete the first phase of an arts project proposed by Respond to Racism.
City Manager Martha Bennett summarized the ARPA spending and grant outcomes. The city allocated $8.8 million in ARPA dollars across infrastructure and grants, including water-plant redundancy, North Shore bridge repairs and Lakeview Boulevard planning. The competitive ARPA grant program distributed roughly $600,000 to local organizations for pandemic recovery, with 13 awards made; $41,948.19 of those ARPA funds remained unspent at the program close.
"Essentially, the idea is to acknowledge the contribution of people of color to the history of Lake Oswego and to articulate a hopeful future where racism is less of our community," Bennett said when describing the Respond to Racism proposal, which includes interpretive panels and sidewalk stamps near the Lake Oswego Public Library.
Council action A motion was moved by Councilor Verdict and seconded by Councilor Corrigan to close the ARPA grant program, direct $41,948.19 of unspent ARPA funds to the Lakeview Boulevard project and award $37,000 to phase 1 of Respond to Racism's art project at the Lake Oswego Public Library. The motion passed 6-0. The staff recommendation converted the Respond to Racism award from ARPA to a general-fund grant so the group could complete contract work that had been delayed past ARPA obligation deadlines.
Why it matters: The vote clears remaining ARPA obligations, moves funds into an active capital project where cost overruns had been identified, and preserves completion of a community arts project that the applicant and council described as an interpretive acknowledgment of local history. Council emphasized timely execution and asked staff and the grantee to finish contracting and installation promptly.
Ending: Councilors asked staff to expedite the grant-to-contract steps so the Respond to Racism installations can proceed without further delay.
