Norris seeks input on spending $480K in COVID funds
Norris wants city departments, boards and commissions, along with residents, to help the City Council identify projects that could receive some of the $480,000 in federal COVID-19 relief grants the city expects to receive.
The City Council discussed the financial windfall during a special meeting Monday night, and said that half of the money has already been received by the city and is waiting to be spent.
This money is separate from an additional grant of $682,000 that the city expects from the federal COVID relief funds. That money must be spent on water and sewer improvement projects.
The $480,000 grant money can be used for almost any of the city’s needs, and does not require any match from the city.
That’s different from the $682,000, which requires the city to put up a 30 percent match, and cannot be used for anything but water and sewer.
Norris plans to use the $682,000 to help correct deficiencies in the city’s sewer system and wastewater treatment facilities that recently brought the threat of up to $23,460 in fines levied by the state Department of Environment and Conservation for violations of the state’s Water Quality Control Act.
Council members were told Monday night that the $480,000 could be spent on a variety of needs, including road construction and maintenance, general governmental administration and facilities, environmental remediation, and provision of police, fire and other public-safety services, including the purchases of firetrucks and police vehicles.
The topic of how to spend the money will be on the agenda of the March 14 regular City Council meeting.