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10/24/2024 04:15 PMOLD SAYBROOK
At a Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting on Oct. 22, the Old Saybrook BOS unanimously recommended that the Board of Finance (BOF) approve eight projects using $1,794,449 of ARPA funding.
At the meeting, the BOS recommended that the BOF appropriate the money for the following projects: $500,000 for paving; $999,000 for constructing the Beaver Dam Trail culvert; $85,000 toward Cypress Cemetery maintenance; $10,000 for Upper Cemetery maintenance; $5,750 to the Old Saybrook Historical society for two witness stones; $34,699 to the Old Saybrook Historical Society for the purchase of an HVAC system; $60,000 for the purpose of purchasing Town of Old Saybrook electrical signs; and $100,000 for the purpose of installing a generator at the Acton Public Library.
Two years ago, ARPA funding was developed to provide federal funds to municipalities recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Old Saybrook has received $2,956,466.25 in ARPA money. The town was tasked with deciding the best way to use these funds and formed the ARPA Ad Hoc Committee to work with the BOS and BOF to develop a list of projects which could benefit from the money. The money must be allocated by Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024.
Old Saybrook First Selectmen Carl Fortuna said that residents would see the results of the projects in the closing months of 2024 and 2025.
Fortuna said that he’s excited about all the projects, but added that there’s one which stands out, stating that the completion of the Beaver Dam Trail culvert in 2025 “will be a milestone and a three-year project, so that will be great.”
As for the cemeteries, Fortuna noted that they are historical landmarks which also serve as tourist attractions.
“Investing in our history, our beautiful cemeteries that are tourist attractions, is the right thing to do, and it is time to do it. Purchasing the HVAC for the archives of our town at the historical society is critical, and I am thrilled we can make this happen for that nonprofit organization,” Fortuna said.
As for the other appropriations, Fortuna said that, “Getting modern technology for our electronic signs and adding another at the western side of town is exciting as is providing seed money for the library renovation.”
The BOF will need to formally approve the recommendations. Fortuna said the BOF will have a special meeting to approve the recommendations on Tuesday, Oct. 29 and then the appropriations will need to be approved by residents at a town meeting on Monday, Nov. 25.
“The town meeting on November 25 will also help the town go paperless by supporting a scanning project in land use that will allow our citizens to access records 24/7 and not just on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30. There are so many good things happening with these appropriations, and our town citizens will see results in late 2024 and 2025,” Fortuna said.
In addition to the APRA appropriations, the BOS also recommended that the BOF transfer $1 million which had been earmarked for the culvert at Beaver Dam Trail in order to pay for other projects. These projects include $500,000 for the Housing Task Force; $250,000 for Mariners Way revitalization; $150,000 for the Parks & Recreation strategic plan; and $100,000 for the Seawall Project. Fortuna explained that these projects would not be constrained by the ARPA guidelines which require that the projects be completed in two years.