By Greg Ellison

(Nov. 11, 2021) With $4.7 million coming its way through the American Rescue Plan Act, the Berlin Town Council on Monday wanted to hear how the public thought it ought to spend the money.

Mayor Zach Tyndall said gathering public opinion is required before establishing spending priorities for the grant.

As of July 12, Berlin has received $2.3 million of a $4.79 million approved allocation.

Funding is being released in two batches, with the first rolled out starting in May and the second half sent one year after the initial payment.

Grant recipients are obligated to earmark funding by Dec. 31, 2024 with projects completed by Dec. 31, 2026.

Among the eligible uses are several areas tied to covid-19, including public health and economic impacts, revenue replacement, premium pay for essential workers and investment in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.

During the listening session, resident Marie Velong recommended dedicating a portion of funds to improving the financial picture for both the water and wastewater funds.

Velong said the town should consider not only wants but also needs.

“Those are things that are needed,” she said.

Also speaking was resident Gussie Sholtis, one of several community members who raised concerns about traffic on West Street.

Sholtis said the council should fix existing problems before investing in new projects.

Sholtis proposed painting a pedestrian/bike lane on West Street to make the roader safer for non-vehicular traffic.

“We should spend it on keeping pedestrians safe,” she said.

Other comments regarding West Street included increasing police patrols to help reduce speeding that threatens children and dog walkers.

Impressed with the public participation, Councilmember Dean Burrell said, “I have sat in these type of meetings and the tone has not been that positive.” By comparison, Burrell said the discussion surrounding ARPA spending was fruitful.

“This evening I feel that the tone of your input is something that we need to be proud of,” he said. “Rest assured we have heard your cries.”