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Phase II ARPA Project Selection
DRAFT
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
Phase II Project Investment
The City of Lynn has identified XX areas in which it proposes to spend more than $23 million in the second phase of funding obtained from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Residents are invited to complete a survey in order to weigh in on the proposed projects for the fall of 2022. This follows extensive outreach efforts that went into compiling the list, including canvassing neighborhoods, communication through press releases, email blasts and social media, virtual meetings with community groups, and in-person community meetings in each Ward.
Overview
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This $1.9 trillion measure provides direct financial relief to Americans, assistance to businesses, and aid to states, counties, and municipalities to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In total, the City of Lynn will receive approximately $75 million in ARPA funds over the course of the next two years. All of the funding must be committed by December 31, 2024 and fully expended by December 31, 2026. To date, the City has dedicated $13.5 million to improving the air quality in municipal buildings by replacing and upgrading HVAC systems; $500,000 was used to purchase rapid COVID antigen test kits; and $3 million was allocated to the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (EDIC) for small business relief grants. With approximately $52 million approved in the first round of projects – $23 million will be used in subsequent allocations starting this fall.
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 by administering ARPA funds.
Recap of the ARPA Project Selection Process
In early February, the Phase I community survey was 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.
Outreach activities to-date have included:
Targeted Outreach to 509 Community Organization Contacts
2,446+ Email Communications
200+ Telephone Calls
14 Community Forums
1,650+ Survey Responses
The survey was available online from February 8, 2022 through March 31, 2022 and reached roughly 1,653 respondents. Of the 1,653 survey participants, 1,259 prioritized infrastructure improvements with 39% survey participants citing roadway & sidewalk improvements as a top priority for ARPA funding investments.
3 Project Submittal Workshop Events
Six, 3-hour sessions with translation services were open to the community for a chance to work with staff to propose their ideas in May.
24 Individual ARPA Project Assistance Sessions
ARPA Project Selection Survey postcard sent to 35,400 residences throughout the City
223 Phase I Project Selection Surveys Returned
Outreach Takeaways
Feedback from the City’s community outreach highlighted particular needs to address parks and green space, the cost of housing, improvements to roadways and sidewalks, and litter. The City’s recommendations are in line with those priorities, taking into account priorities from the City’s ARPA Scoring Matrix such as the implementation timeline and project sustainability (i.e., the reality that the finding is a one-time revenue source).
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Phase II City-Recommended Project Details
The City of Lynn is recommending the following projects listed below receive ARPA investment in November 2022
All of the projects included in this recommendation have been submitted by city departments, non-profits and outside agencies, and community members; and are determined to be the most viable to be recommended to the City Council for approval during the second round of project selection.
Phase II Recommended Project Cost Breakdown
The total amount of ARPA funding requested for the November package of projects recommended by the City is approximately $23 million.
| Category | Total | Percentage |
Parks
Project Name
- These funds will be used for…
Project cost estimate: $XXXXXX
Water & Roads
Project Name
- These funds will be used for…
Project cost estimate: $XXXXXX
Housing
Project Name
- These funds will be used for…
Project cost estimate: $XXXXXX
Early Childhood
Project Name
- These funds will be used for…
Project cost estimate: $XXXXXX
Public Safety
Project Name
- These funds will be used for…
Project cost estimate: $XXXXXX
City
Project Name
- These funds will be used for…
Project cost estimate: $XXXXXX
Public Health
Project Name
- These funds will be used for…
Project cost estimate: $XXXXXX
Economic Development
Project Name
- These funds will be used for…
Project cost estimate: $XXXXXX
Nonprofit
Project Name
- These funds will be used for…
Project cost estimate: $XXXXXX
Workforce Development
Project Name
- These funds will be used for…
Project cost estimate: $XXXXXX
ARPA Community Engagement Schedule
From 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 throughout Lynn.
January 25, 2022
Lynn City Council Meeting
Presentation to the City Council on on ARPA and outreach efforts.
February 2022
ARPA Community Survey Goes LIVE!
How would you spend $75 million in federal funds given to Lynn?
March 2022
Development of a Project List
We will develop an ARPA-funded project list in March using the data gathered from community surveys.
March 2022
Project Interviews
Conducting & publishing interviews with project managers & stakeholders
April 2022
Launch of the Phase I ARPA Project Proposals & Suggestions
City departments, agencies, commissions, nonprofits and outside agencies were encouraged to submit proposals for ARPA investment.
April 26, 2022
City Council Meeting
ARPA survey results were presented to the City Council.
May 2022
Phase I Project Submittal Workshops
The public was invited to attend 6 workshop sessions in May for an opportunity to work with staff to navigate through their project applications.
May 2022
Review of Community Suggestions for ARPA Investment
The City is reviewing community suggestions which may be integrated into other projects that will receive ARPA funding in July.
May 31, 2022
Closure of Phase I Project Submittal Requests
Feedback from the City’s community outreach highlighted particular needs to address parks and green space, the cost of housing, improvements to roadways and sidewalks, and litter. The City’s recommendations are in line with those priorities, taking into account priorities from the City’s ARPA Scoring Matrix such as the implementation timeline and project sustainability (i.e., the reality that the finding is a one-time revenue source).
June 20, 2022
Launch of Project Selection Survey
The City drafted a recommendation of projects that are the most viable to be recommended to the City Council for approval during the first round of project selection scheduled for mid-July. Projects not selected in this first round may be selected in a future project selection process in the fall of 2022.
June 28, 2022
Overview of the Project Selection at City Hall
A Community Meeting was held to discuss the City’s recommendation for the first round of projects for ARPA investment and to solicit more survey responses.
July 6, 2022
Project Selection Survey Deadline Extension
The ARPA project selection survey deadline was extended to July 6th to allow for more community participation. Projects not selected in this first round may be selected in a future project selection process in the fall of 2022.
July 12, 2022
Phase I Presentation to the City Council
A presentation of the phase I survey results was made at the July 12th City Council meeting. The Council voted to approve the recommendation of ARPA investment developed by the City.
Late Summer/ Early Fall 2022
Project implementation
Project implementation begins for approved ARPA allocations.
Project and Spending Updates
The latest ARPA-related project updates, news, and resources, sent straight to your inbox every month.
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