By Andra Moss

A seven-member advisory committee has been established in Norfolk to guide decision making regarding the $482,400 in federal American Plan Recovery Act (ARPA) money awarded to the town through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program. The first half of the funding was received in June 2021, and the remainder is scheduled for allocation in July 2022.

The ARPA advisory committee consists of Selectmen Sandy Evans and Matt Riiska; Susan Anderson, representing the Board of Finance (BoF); and four members of the Economic Development Commission, Libby Borden, Jenna Brown, Kate Johnson and Michael Selleck. Requests for ARPA funding go through the advisory committee, which then makes recommendations to the BoF regarding how the federal relief dollars should be spent.

After holding its first meeting, the advisory committee in March earmarked, and the BoF approved, $74,000 to be put toward a generator at the sewer district and $78,000 for repairs to the slide at Botelle School. Approximately $89,200 remains of the first ARPA allotment, as well as $241,200 arriving this summer.

Local governments have until December 2024 to fully plan for and commit their funds and until 2026 to spend them. They also have substantial discretion in how to use the funds to address the health and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Norfolk’s ARPA advisory committee is taking time to consider how to best utilize the funds for the town’s economic recovery, but in the meantime funding requests can be sent to Riiska, who is collecting and sharing this information with the committee. Future public meetings of the ARPA advisory committee will be posted on the town hall website.