ARPA Funds Obligated to Date

At its August 21, 2023, meeting the Portsmouth City Council held a public hearing and voted to adopt a resolution appropriating $1,900,000 from City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant monies to fund six projects. As noted by City Manager Karen Conard, this use of ARPA funds is to implement certain recommendations from the COVID Recovery Task Force. City Manager and staff advanced and the City Council approved the following projects for ARPA fund allocations:

  • $20,000 for Community Resource Network - to improve the existing website and to explore using technology tools to help the non-profits that already exist.
  • $10,000 for Gas and Uber/Lyft gift cards (or similar) - to facilitate transportation to and from after school programs, medical appointments, jobs, childcare, other essential trips. This investment recognizes that sometimes the best transportation option is a direct point-to-point solution on an as needed basis; the challenge will be the best means to get this type of aid to those that need it most.
  • $80,000 for Mobile Library Resources – to offer mobile library resources for community outreach, at parks, centers, and local events. This amount would cover the Portsmouth Public Library’s acquisition, operation and maintenance for two years of a small, storable electric vehicle referred to as a “pop-up library.”
  • $250,000 for implementation of recommendations included in the Community Health Needs Assessment (due for completion by end of 2023) that are time-sensitive, have a defined scope/project within the budget; and are supported by partner agencies.
  • $1,500,000 for Community Campus Non-Profit Tenant Space Realignment and Improvements – to fund critical building needs for all tenants that include the provision of security and access solutions unique to each tenant and maximization of organizational flow, space planning and energy efficiency.
  • $40,000 in IT infrastructure to Community Campus – to build capacity and provide individual, secure needs for all users/tenants.

These appropriations are subtracted from the "Total Available" noted below of $10,980,280.

ARPA Allocation as of January 25, 2023

Background:

On June 7, 2021, $400,000 in ARPA Funds were appropriated in the FY22 Budget for City Hall HVAC improvements and Citywide storm drainage improvements.

On April 18, 2022, the City Council held a Public Hearing to consider the Adoption of Resolutions appropriating $5,260,000 from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant to pay the following:

Multi-purpose Fields Lighting                           $560,000
Citywide Sidewalk Reconstruction                   400,000
Citywide Street Paving                                      2,000,000
Islington Street Phase 2                                     2,300,000
Total                                                                      $5,260,000

The City Council also voted to obligate $65,000 in ARPA funds towards a Public Health Profile and Needs Assessment.

On June 6, 2022, the City Council passed Resolution #14-2022 Special Revenues appropriating $1,687,600 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for various capital and rolling stock items, as follows:

FY23 ARPA Earmarks

​The $650,000 balance included in the resolution is earmarked for Police Public Safety Software in future Fiscal Years as follows:

FY 24  $250,000

FY 25  $250,000

FY 26  $150,000