The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a federal, COVID-19 pandemic-relief law passed by Congress and signed into law by the President on March 11, 2021. The law included $350 billion to support state and local governments across the country with pandemic response and recovery efforts. The funds, known as Fiscal Recovery Funds, are intended to address both direct and indirect impacts of the pandemic.

Overview

The Town of Morrisville has received $9.2 million in Local Fiscal Recovery Funds through ARPA. The Town has flexibility in determining how the funds are used for projects across four eligible expenditure categories, including:  

 

1. Response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, or its negative economic impacts
2. Premium pay for eligible workers performing essential work
3. Water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure
4. Replacement of lost public sector revenue

 

The Town has elected to spend its allocation within the fourth category, the “revenue replacement” category. The funds in this category can be used to support broadly defined government services like parks and recreation and affordable housing, including the infrastructure associated with these services. This approach affords the Town maximum flexibility and discretion in determining how to use the funds to meet community needs and interests. To date, the Morrisville Town Council has appropriated just over half, or $4.6 million, of the total $9.2 million allocation.  The Town has until Dec. 31, 2024, to commit the remaining funds for projects.  A brief summary of the funded projects by category is included below:

Parks, Recreation and Greenways  

• New Morrisville Dog Park
• Renovations at Shiloh Park
• Systemwide greenway enhancements
• Park repairs, replacements, and maintenance

Revenue Replacement

• Replaces lost revenue in the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department

Smart Cities & Technology Initiatives

• Creation of a Town of Morrisville mobile application
• New audio/visual system for Council chambers
• Various sensors, Internet of Things (IOT) enabled signage, and related technology enhancements that allow the Town to utilize real-time data to improve service delivery and keep the community informed about facility usage and availability

Facility Improvements, Repairs, and Replacements

• Accessibility improvements
• Conversion to touch-less fixtures in Town facilities
• Various life cycle equipment replacements
• Greenway asphalt and pedestrian bridge repairs

Sustainability Initiatives

• Various initiatives aligned with Morrisville’s Master Sustainability Plan. To date, funded projects include a solar panel installation, EV charging stations, and energy audits.

Affordable Housing

• Consultant services to begin work on a toolkit to incentivize development of affordable housing and explore a public employee housing choice program

Administrative Support

• Multiple years of staffing to ensure federal compliance and reporting requirements associated with the ARPA funds are met
• Staffing to support small business recovery and stabilization in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic