photo by: Photo by Eric Ayres
Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum, Councilman Jerry Sklavounakis, City Manager Robert Herron and Mayor Glenn Elliott attend a work session Tuesday night to discuss proposals on ways the city of Wheeling should spend more than $26 million in American Rescue Plan funds.
WHEELING — From infrastructure projects to more options for day care, proposals on how to spend more than $26 million in federal pandemic relief funds from the American Rescue Plan covered a full gamut of options Monday night.
The city of Wheeling held its first of what promises to be a handful of public work sessions aimed at sharing ideas on how to spend ARP funds within the next two years. City leaders are encouraging the public to submit proposals that meet federal guidelines on how these funds can be spent, and there are specific parameters that must be met.
Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott added that the funds have to be spent within the next couple of years, otherwise, unspent portions will likely be going back to Uncle Sam.
“It’s a pretty big chunk of money,” Elliott said. “It’s going to be on us to allocate it all by the end of December 2024. The statute says if the funds aren’t obligated by Dec. 31, 2024, then the city will lose the funds.
“So if it seems like we’re spending a lot of money quickly, it’s because if we don’t, we’re going to lose it. It’s a good problem to have, but it’s going to be a challenge.”
The city’s total allocation of more than $29 million through the ARP’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program was divided into two payments — one of which was received last year, and the next of which is expected in May. The city has already spent some of the money — such as the outdoor dining program, with about $26 million left in the pot.
During Monday night’s meeting, each member of city council spoke, sharing a summary of their thoughts on projects for which ARP funding could be used. Several members of the public that had already submitted proposals to the city — mostly representatives of local agencies and organizations — were also on hand to pitch their ideas.
“We’re basically accepting proposals through the end of April,” the mayor said. “If you haven’t submitted proposals yet, you still have time.”
Officials urged those who wish to submit a proposal to carefully read the guidelines and make sure the idea fits into the federal parameters for spending ARC funds. The city’s website has links to the online survey to submit proposals and a link to the U.S. Treasury Department’s guidelines for the relief funds.
Elliott noted that there was a lot more flexibility in spending the funds in what has been deemed “qualified census tracts,” or areas that have already been pre-determined to meet the spending guidelines. Lower income areas would fall into the qualified census tracts. While the funds must be used in areas impacted by the pandemic, the qualified census tract areas are presumed to have been impacted, officials explained.
Representatives from Wheeling Heritage, the Wheeling Park Commission, Grow Ohio Valley, the Community Foundation of the Ohio Valley, Friends of Wheeling, NAMI (the National Alliance of Mental Illness) of Wheeling, Ohio Valley Trail Partners and other entities spoke during the meeting, pitching ideas on how the money could be spent.
One common theme that came up repeatedly both among council members and organization leaders was that priority projects should be those that are “economic multipliers” – ones that are forward-looking and will get the most bang for the buck.
“If you want to make this $29 million really have an impact, you want to make it on investments that will pay dividends in the future,” Elliott noted.
“We can pave a road that serves 10 people, which would change the lives of those 10 people, which is great,” Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum said. “Or we could fund projects that serve hundreds of people with these funds. From my perspective, if we really want to ‘multiply’ our impact, we must make sure that we’re serving a broad swath of folks versus just a handful.”
Vice Mayor Chad Thalman added, “We can spend $1 million tomorrow on demolition, and we’re still going to have buildings that are run down and need to be demolished. We can spend $5 million on paving, and we’re still going to have streets and alleys that need paved. We can spend the entire $29 million on underground infrastructure, and we still will not take care of all of our underground infrastructure that needs attention.”
Thalman said the city should focus on necessary projects in the city that no one else is going to address or fund.
City leaders agreed that infrastructure projects, alley paving, razing dilapidated structures, investing in recreational facilities and cleaning up neighborhoods should be high on the priority list. Officials noted that certain infrastructure projects that are already on the books for the future could be funded with ARP money, and the anticipated rate hikes needed to support future projects could be delayed, resulting in a savings for many affected citizens.
Another big topic was day care needs — a qualifying expense and an issue that has become a serious problem in the wake of the pandemic.
“As a father of a 4-year-old, I’ve experienced first-hand how difficult it is to find good, safe child care,” Councilman Ty Thorngate said.
“Our wait list is 185 people right now,” said Tara Crews, executive director of Holy Family Child Care and Developmental Center, who spoke about her passion project of developing a “crisis nursery” and offering extended hours for current child care services, including pre-care and after-care services. “The average wait list in the county is about 170 names long.”
Bob Peckenpaugh, president and CEO of the Wheeling Park Commission, said Oglebay Resort — a financial driver when it comes to the economic bottom line for both Wheeling Park and Oglebay Park — took a $6.5 million hit in lost revenues in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The economic impact of an operation like Oglebay I think is important in this discussion as well,” Peckenpaugh said, noting that guests to the resort spend money in the city, and the resort also generates bed tax revenues for the city. “Any growth that we have in the hotel side of the business comes back to the community in that manner.”
Supporting organizations that provide a catalyst to tourism dollars was eyed by many as one of the “economic multipliers” for which ARP funds could be invested.
Betsy Sweeny of Wheeling Heritage said another way to invest in the community would be to provide property rehabilitation funds to help private property owners rehabilitate aging structures in town. Costs of constructing code-compliant life-safety elements in structures such as fire escapes, elevators, ADA accommodations and other features can often prohibit potential developers from refurbishing beyond the first floors of buildings, she noted.
City officials are expected to discuss consensus proposals and bring universally supported ideas to the floor of city council in the future for a vote. Any ARP fund project that moves forward is expected to receive two readings and a vote on the floor of city council.
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