(Batesville, IN) – Batesville City Council considered several requests for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds Monday night.
ARPA, also known as the COVID-19 Stimulus Package, is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package signed into law by President Joe Biden in March 2021.
By December 31 of this year, local governments need to have obligated ARPA funds with plans to spend the money by the end of 2026.
Council heard presentations from:
- Amy Streator on behalf of the Ripley County Community Foundation – $100,000 to establish an unrestricted endowment fund to support non-profits and other organizations providing services to Batesville residents.
- Clarice Patterson, Genesis: Pathways to Success – $100,000 to support the expansion of its programming efforts in Batesville.
- Cari Kettman, Safe Passage, Inc. – $400,000 to finish renovations to the 3rd floor of the agency’s emergency shelter for domestic and sexual violence victims.
- Amy Pretzer, Batesville Main Street – $100,000 to revitalize and repurpose the historic Ward School building for retail.
- Paul Gates, City Clerk-Treasurer – $250,000 to replace the 25-year-old filtering system at the Batesville Memorial Pool.
The city has about $540,000 in ARPA funds that need to be distributed by the end of the year.
Any leftover money will have to go back to the federal government.
Council is expected to consider a resolution next month to appropriate those dollars.
