Overview

City Goals for Distributing ARPA Funds

Seek extensive input and feedback from the community to help structure the City’s use of ARPA funding.
Design a transparent, accessible, and equitable project proposal process for allocating funds.
Prioritize projects, people, businesses, and organizations with a focus on those most impacted by COVID-19.
Leverage other state and federal resources to maximize Lynn’s ARPA funding.
Cover the City’s costs to administer ARPA funds.

Recap of Project Selection Process

Since the onset of the community engagement process for ARPA spending and project selection, the City has been working to gather input through traditional grassroots means and a multi-faceted online approach. Outreach efforts included connecting with community stakeholders, canvassing neighborhoods, distributing press releases, email blasts, social media posts, and setting up in-person and virtual community meetings in each Ward. 
 
In early February, a community survey was developed and distributed to help the City of Lynn develop a transparent, strategic, and equitable plan for federal ARPA funding. The survey was designed for the purpose of understanding the impact of the pandemic on city residents and to gather a sense of community stakeholders’ priorities for COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. During the month of May, the public was invited to attend several workshops for an opportunity to collaborate with staff to help submit their project suggestions and proposals.