OGDENSBURG — The city has given residents more than $124,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for 29 home improvement projects to date.
Through ARPA, municipalities across the country have been given funding to help offset losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. The city was given a total of $1,068,179 and so far a portion of that — $260,000 — was dedicated to its Individual Household Assistance Program in 2021.
“We’ve approved 29 projects for a total of $124,000,” City Manager Stephen P. Jellie said at Monday night’s City Council meeting. “We’ve got several more in the queue and we’re working on getting those processed and through now.”
The city has given nonprofit organizations and small businesses another $174,000 this year.
The Individual Household Assistance Program allows the city to help homeowners make repairs to their properties and reimburses them up to $5,000 for exterior and interior projects.
“The program is going well,” Mr. Jellie said. “I’d say the only slowdown we’re obviously seeing is that there’s a small amount of contractors to do these significant amounts of furnace and electrical work that is out there, but all in all I think the project is moving now.”
Mr. Jellie also gave an update on the Freedom of Information Law process, stating that 142 FOIL requests have been received by the city clerk’s office and are being processed.
“Cathy (Jock) and the staff are processing them and I think most of these we’re getting out within 30 days,” Mr. Jellie said. “There’s a handful of significant data-request FOILS that require weeks of work. Those are the only ones that are taking more than 30 days.”
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
