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Board approves reallocation of ARPA funds for city projects; senior-center amendment fails
Summary
The Board approved a memorandum of understanding reallocating ARPA dollars to multiple city projects, including public-safety equipment, HVAC and IT work; an amendment to allocate $120,000 to the Milford Senior Center failed, and the main MOU passed by roll call.
The Board approved a memorandum of understanding to reallocate previously earmarked ARPA funds toward a set of city projects after officials decided a proposed health department building could not be completed within the available budget.
Mayor Richard M. Smith and staff described how approximately $4.9 million had been assembled for a proposed health department building, but construction estimates exceeded that amount. The mayor said the administration sought cost-effective alternatives, including reconfiguring space within existing municipal buildings (Parsons Building and Stern Hall), improving HVAC and boilers, upgrading the dispatch center, buying police vehicles and body-worn cameras, and installing fiber-optics upgrades (including work at the senior center) and a public-address system.
Alderman Bevan offered an amendment to allocate $120,000 to the Milford Senior Center (split $30,000 for food nutrition and $90,000 discretionary); aldermen and the mayor clarified ARPA statutory restrictions require money be used for previously approved projects and that a department-level allocation without an eligible project would likely be disallowed. The amendment failed in a roll-call (9 no, 6 yes). The primary MOU subsequently passed on roll-call (12 yes, 3 no).
Key details: The mayor said roughly $744,388 remained tagged for health-department upgrades and would be used for renovations and space reconfiguration rather than building new construction. Several aldermen asked for the list of approved ARPA projects; the administration said it would share details and project definitions.
What it means: The vote authorizes administration to reallocate and spend ARPA balances on a set of projects aimed at improving municipal infrastructure and public safety within the permissible ARPA categories; the Board rejected an amendment to use ARPA funds for the senior center's operating costs.
