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Madison approves $88,700 in ARPA Round 22 grants; directs remaining ARPA balances to Emergency Operations Center project
Summary
The board approved ARPA Round 22 allocations (benches $38,700; Vibe show-choir $4,000; Wellington solar $22,400; ABC House $23,000) and authorized sweeping any remaining ARPA balances into the Madison Hose/Emergency Operations Center CIP project to meet federal timing rules.
The Madison Board of Selectmen voted Nov. 12 to approve ARPA Round 22 funding as amended and to allocate any remaining and future ARPA balances to the Town’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) / Madison Hose building addition project. The Round 22 package, approved by voice vote and subject to Board of Finance sign-off, totaled $88,700 and included funds for downtown bench replacements, a show-choir trailer, solar panels and renovations for a nonprofit.
Selectwoman Peggy explained the urgency: ARPA obligations must be committed by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026, so the town must designate purchases or encumbrances for the funds. Staff reported roughly $117,000 unallocated before the Round 22 decisions. The board amended the consent motion to include up to $38,700 for replacement downtown benches, and approved the remaining allocations: $4,000 to Vibe show choir (trailer), $22,400 to Wellington for solar panels (second request) and $23,000 to ABC House for renovation projects (second request).
The board also voted to direct any remaining ARPA balances as of Dec. 1, 2024 — and any future small amounts that trickle in — to the Madison Hose building/Emergency Operations Center CIP project. Town staff said auditors confirmed that unobligated ARPA funds could be allocated to an existing encumbrance or a project that already had commitments, and that this step would protect the town from failing federal timing rules.
Public commenter Terry Vaner raised a concern that some approved items (for example, the show choir trailer and certain nonprofit requests) might not meet the Department of Treasury’s ARPA eligibility definitions. The board responded that different rules apply to awards under $10 million and said staff are mindful of federal eligibility criteria.
What passed: the board’s voice vote approved Round 22 as amended (motion moved and seconded; voice vote: "all in favor"); the allocation of remaining balances to the EOC project likewise passed by voice vote. Both actions were recorded as approved pending final Board of Finance approval of funding where noted.
Next steps: staff will finalize purchase orders, vendor contracts or encumbrances for the approved items and work with the Board of Finance to complete any required approvals so the town meets ARPA commitment and expenditure deadlines.
