Councils make plans for COVID money

Infrastructure and other projects, reimbursement of COVID expenses and banking some money aside are plans for the city of Patterson for its approximately $2.14 million that it will receive in American Rescue Plan Act money.
Patterson Mayor Rodney Grogan said the city has targeted finishing the pavilion and restroom at Morey Park as well as infrastructure projects like road and drainage work to use funding for. The city will complete work in its other parks, and it also will pay off its leases on police vehicles and other city equipment.
COVID-related reimbursement to the city’s budget will be expenses for things such as masks, cleaning supplies and pay for sick employees. That will make up about $60,000 to $75,000 of the money, too.
The city also lost $7,500 to $9,000 monthly because St. Mary Galvanizing in Bayou Vista relocated to Port Allen.
“That was our fuel revenue,” Grogan said.
That lost revenue will be replenished with this money as well as a greatly reduced stream of income during the past year from video poker.
At one point, that revenue dropped from $9,000 per month to $300.
“That was because of the closing of the bars and so forth,” Grogan said.
The city also will put away $1 million in savings. Grogan anticipates in a year or two when money is not being distributed like now and jobs are taking time to return, there will be “some hard times.” Therefore, the city will have funding to help in those times.
In Berwick, Mayor Duval Arthur has a list of 18 projects that the money potentially could be used for if approved.
The city is due to receive about $1.63 million in funding, which he said will be split between this year and next year. He said the city has until 2024 to use the money.
“We don’t want to just take that money and burn it up on toys and stuff like that,” he said. “We have no intention of doing that.”
The money will be used for water and sewer projects as well as assisting citizens in need.
“That money is actually a grace of God, and we want to use it in a way that will help people instead of just spending money,” he said.
On the parish level, St. Mary is due to receive about $9.57 million.
Parish President David Hanagriff said much of that funding will be targeting infrastructure.
“Now, the plan calls out for water and sewer, specifically,” Hanagriff said. “It doesn’t address other issues as far as roads and other types of infrastructure, so we’re trying to formulate and find out and see exactly what we can spend it on and where it’s at before we actually put projects in front of the council to vote on right now.”
However, infrastructure is the plan for most or all of the money, he said.
St. Mary Parish Schools Superintendent Teresa Bagwell said that the board is expected to receive funding, but she is not sure how much yet.
“Given the nature of the funds as a one-time allocation, we will be working with a team of stakeholders to determine how to best utilize stimulus funds for students,” Bagwell said. “It is our goal that the funds can be used to gain longevity of instructional supports as we are fully aware of the cuts to the state’s MFP that may continue into upcoming school years.”