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Council allocates $74,706 in ARPA funds to renovate Rotary Park after debate over water-tank needs
Summary
After debate over competing infrastructure needs, Preston City Council voted 3–1 to spend $74,706.29 in remaining ARPA funds on a shovel-ready Rotary Park downtown revitalization project rather than water‑tank engineering or employee bonuses.
Preston City Council approved using the remaining $74,706.29 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for a planned renovation of Rotary Park in downtown Preston.
Kelly Mickelson, who presented the ARPA spending overview, told the council the city must obligate the funds and described options including water‑tank engineering, sidewalks, playground repairs and the Rotary Park plan. “We have a shovel-ready plan for it,” Mickelson said, urging the council to act so the money can be used before the federal deadline.
The council debated trade‑offs. Councilman Todd Thomas argued some of the funds should support water‑tank engineering, saying the multi‑year tank project will require steady engineering funding. Chris Larson and other members said revitalizing downtown with a ready project would produce immediate visible benefit and could be leveraged if a future grant is awarded. Chris Larson summarized the committee’s view: “We already have a plan and engineering in place; this gets the work started.”
After alternative proposals failed for lack of a second, Brent Dodge moved to allocate the full ARPA balance to the downtown Rotary Park project; the motion passed 3–1, with one council member voting no and stating a preference that part of the money go toward water‑tank engineering. Council documents show the motion carried and the funds will be used before the ARPA obligation deadline listed by staff.
The council and staff said they will prioritize spending this year and execute the project through standard bidding processes. Kelly Mickelson noted additional sidewalk funding ($250,000 awarded from LTAC) is also in planning, which council members said they will coordinate with the Rotary Park work.
