Although Chester is still in the planning phase of how to spend its portion of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the Board of Selectmen (BOS) recently discussed how the funds could be used. The town is considering setting aside a portion of its ARPA funds for regional projects through the Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments (RiverCOG).

While Chester has not received a formal request yet, First Selectwoman Lauren Gister explained at a Sept. 22 BOS meeting that RiverCOG plans to ask all 17 towns in its jurisdiction to considering putting aside 15 percent of the funds each town receives as part of its county allocation.

Because the state of Connecticut does not operate under a county form of government, the county allocations under ARPA are distributed to Connecticut municipalities on a proportional basis.

Gister said that in Chester, the 15 percent would be equivalent to approximately $93,000. In direct aid and through a county allocation, the town is set to receive a total of $1,246,840 in ARPA funds. The $1.2 million will be distributed in two installments of approximately $623,000 in 2021 and 2022.

“If we had county government, like Oregon, we would not have gotten the county portion of that money,” said Gister. “That money would have been to benefit the whole county, which is why RiverCOG is asking for a portion of that.”

Small business loans or grants for recovery efforts, made possible through the Middlesex Revitalization Commission or Middlesex Community Foundation, are examples of regional projects being discussed by RiverCOG, according to Gister.

If the BOS agreed to put the money aside, the funds would remain in Chester and be earmarked for regional projects, but they would be spent only after gaining final approval at a town meeting.

“So, it’s still up to the town,” said Gister. “We’re not giving any of the money away, we’re not giving it to RiverCOG or to Middlesex County Foundation or to the Revitalization Commission or anything else.

“We would be agreeing not to allocate it for any other specific project until we’ve been approached for these regional projects,” she continued.

While the BOS awaits a formal request from RiverCOG on the organization’s proposal for regional projects, the board voted on Sept. 22 to allocate up to $10,000 to help the Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries (SSKP) with the purchase of a refrigerated box truck, the cost of which is to be divided among the 11 towns serviced by the organization.

“I think to say not to exceed $10,000 would be conservative and cautious, but still reference our support for this project, which is, in my mind, exactly what the ARPA money was passed to do,” said Gister.

SSKP Executive Director Amy Hollis said that a new truck with refrigeration and a lift gate would help the organization in its efforts to share food that is transported between Connecticut Food Share and SSKP’s five pantry sites.

The organization currently uses a 16-foot truck with a 6,000-pound payload and no refrigeration.

“Our current truck requires all food to be lifted by hand, has no cooling for food, and the engine isn’t powered for the amount of food we would like to carry,” said Hollis in an email.

The new truck would be at least 20 feet long with a 10,000-pound capacity, along with the lift gate and refrigeration, according to Hollis.

“A new truck would lighten the load as we continue endeavoring to ensure access to food for all,” she said.

The BOS and the Chester Board of Finance have developed a list of potential projects or uses for the town’s ARPA funds. It’s anticipated that discussions on these or other uses of the town’s ARPA funds will continue well into the future, according to Gister.