Committee advances ARPA budget corrections and funding agreements for veteran housing, workforce training and community programs

The committee considered a package of ARPA budget adjustments and grant agreements affecting infrastructure and community programs, and moved the items to upcoming legislative agendas for final council consideration.

Business Administrator Kim Robertson outlined several budget corrections and reallocations intended to allow the city to spend ARPA funds by federal deadlines. Robertson said a $48,237 administrative fee for the Marcus Street Bridge project needed to be added to the fiscal‑year 2025 budget to align with an existing county agreement. Robertson also said $350,000 previously earmarked for renovations at the Princess Street Center will be reallocated because the facility needs far more than the $350,000 originally set aside. She said the $350,000 will be split: $250,000 directed to veterans housing support (Progyny/Prodigy Spectrum Management) and $100,000 to Life Path Christian Ministries; Robertson said the Princess Street Center renovation would require more funding than the ARPA allocation and that, because of expenditure deadlines, reallocating the $350,000 was necessary to get funds obligated.

The committee also advanced for later council action a set of ARPA funding agreements for community organizations that provide workforce training and veteran services. Presenters included:

- Lavelle Howe, founder of Progyny Spectrum (Prodigy Spectrum Management), who described plans to expand housing and supportive services for veterans, offering medication management, meals and weekly check‑ins to reduce returns to homelessness.

- Abdul Jamieson, founder of ABJ Foundation (APJ/ABJ Foundation in transcript), outlined workforce and trade‑skill training (welding, mechanics, mobile tire services) aimed at at‑risk youth. He emphasized on‑the‑job skills and financial literacy.

- Lisonbee Frost, executive director of York Community Resource Center (Tech Central York), described bilingual workforce and allied‑health training (CNA, medical assistant, phlebotomy) and plans to expand into trades training and a new facility in a distressed neighborhood.

Robertson said four projects for job training were being packaged under a job‑training cost center that holds $400,000; the agreements discussed would exhaust most or all of that bucket once finalized. The committee agreed to place the ARPA funding agreements on the Oct. 21 legislative agenda for approval so that budget amendments could be finalized beforehand.

Separately, the committee moved a correction to the Department of Health operating budget (an amendment of $5,882.36 for STD testing and outreach) and other technical budget cleanups (including a correction reducing the first‑time homebuyer line to $275,000 total and additional transfers for police trauma‑response staffing). The committee also approved placing a budget transfer of $165,532 to convert in‑house staff funded by ARPA (a grama responder and two credible messengers) onto salary and benefits lines.

Council members asked whether any other funding sources exist for the Princess Street Center renovation and expressed concern about depleting that specific ARPA bucket; staff explained the original allocation was intended for renovations sufficient to relaunch the center for day‑care use and that larger renovation needs exceed the ARPA funds available.

After discussion, the committee placed relevant ARPA budget amendments on the Oct. 7 legislative agenda and the ARPA funding agreements (community organizations) on the Oct. 21 legislative agenda so that agreements and budget amendments could be synchronized before final council votes.