The Town of Waterbury has received a total of over $1,500,000 in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). Additional information about the funding is provided below.
The Select Board is working to determine a plan for the use of these funds, and we want your input!
You can provide your input using any combination of the following methods:
Complete the online input survey. The survey is available here.
A paper copy of the same survey was also mailed to Waterbury addresses, and can be completed and returned to the municipal offices (28 N Main St., Suite 1, Waterbury, VT 05676) if you prefer.
Attend the Select Board ARPA input meeting virtually or in person to provide comments.
The meeting will be held:
Monday, December 5, 2022 at 7:00 pm
Waterbury Municipal Offices, 28 North Main Street and via Zoom
The agenda for the meeting will be available here.
Background Information
From the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, https://www.vlct.org/arpa
“The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF, aka ARPA) which provides $350 billion to state and local governments across the nation for the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Of Vermont’s $1.25 billion share, over $200 million (about $300 per Vermonter) was allocated to municipalities. Legislative bodies have discretion over how to spend their local ARPA funds”
Overarching Goals
The Select Board has the following goals in using the funding:
- Allocate the funding for strategic, long-term investments.
- Use the funding to benefit a broad cross section of the community.
- Ensure that any investments support the long term financial health and viability of Waterbury.
- Align broadly with the original goals and intent of the ARPA funding, which are:
- Fight the pandemic and support families and businesses struggling with its public health and economic impact;
- Maintain vital public services, even amid declines in revenue resulting from the crisis;
- Build a strong, resilient, and equitable recovery by making investments that support long-term growth and opportunity.
Existing Commitments
While a broad portion of the funding remains, some has been expended or committed. These funding commitments include:
- $100,000 to the Ice Center of Washington West. Approved by voters at Town Meeting in 2022.
- $90,000 for the Highway Department. Approved by voters as part of the 2022 Budget.
- $50,000 to CV Fiber for providing broadband internet service to underserved addresses in Waterbury. This funding was matched by a grant for the Vermont Community Broadband Board. Approved by the Select Board on April 18, 2022.
- $76,000 committed to Waterbury Ambulance Service, Inc. (WASI) for the Station Creation Project. This funding also leveraged funding from other municipalities served by WASI (Duxbury and Moretown). Funding will be included in the 2023 Budget.
Process Moving Forward
The Select Board will begin discussions based on the input solicited through the responses from the survey and input meeting. Additional discussions will take place through the annual budgeting process. Not all ARPA funding needs to be allocated in 2023. Additional updates will be posted on this site.
You can contact Tom Leitz, Deputy Municipal Manager at tleitz@waterburyvt.com or 802-244-4300 if you have additional questions.