Staff report
RUTLAND TOWN—At Sept. 14’s Select Board meeting, board members raised several ideas about what to do with the town’s estimated $1.2 million in ARPA money, roughly half of which Rutland has already received.
Select Board Chair Mary Ashcroft presented those present with a list of 24 possible uses for the funds, which included wifi for town buildings, street lighting, and water and sewer work. She expressed particular interest in using the money to cover lost revenue caused by the pandemic.
Alderman J.P. Faignant proposed using the money to construct a new fire station, a notion Select Board member Don Chioffi approved of. Ashcroft suggested the town wait to spend money on infrastructure until a potential federal infrastructure bill is either passed or scrapped.
No decisions were made on the use of the ARPA money. The second half of the funds are not expected until fall of 2022.
