Chautauqua County will soon implement a big investment from the American Rescue Plan (ARP).
On Wednesday, the Chautauqua County legislature approved a plan for spending $24.6 million given to the county through ARP funding. The plan includes 43 projects to help with the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
$18 million can be used for general county spending. The remaining $6 million can only be used for categories outlined by the U.S. Treasury Department. Those categories are respond to COVID-19 and its economic effects; provide premium pay to essential workers; restore lost revenue; and water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure projects.
The Chautauqua County ARP working group consisted of County Executive PJ Wendel; Legislature Chairman Pierre Chagnon; Legislators Chuck Nazzaro, Jay Gould, and Mark Odell; and several department heads who met every two weeks since April 2021 to develop a plan. All department heads were consulted for projects.
Emphasis was placed on projects that focused on public health, infrastructure, economic/workforce development, clean water, and public safety. Projects were prioritized based on their impact to the entire community.
“This is an excellent plan for expenditure of the ARPA funds,” Wendel said. “The 43 projects were well conceived to have a county-wide impact, to address short, medium, and long-term needs, and to be sustainable in the long-term. I am grateful to everyone who had a hand in developing this plan, including the COVID-19 finance committee, county legislators, and department heads. I feel really good about the long-ranging impacts that will accrue from this effort.”
A full list of the projects adopted can be viewed on the County's website.
