Town of Rainelle officials are putting American Rescue Plan Act funding to use.
During the July 26 meeting of the Rainelle Town Council, Mayor Robin Williams announced that the first American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation of $395,414.79 had been received.
At that time, officials wanted to make sure they had a clear understanding of what the money could be used for before spending any of it. Now, they are making much-needed purchases to benefit the town.
At council’s Sept. 13 meeting, Williams stated that the town would use a portion of ARPA funding to purchase five portable police radios. The cost to purchase the radios is $15,441.75, as stated in the meeting minutes.
According to Williams, who spoke during the meeting, the portable radios will be used by the Rainelle Police Department. One will be used by the police chief and three others will be used by officers. The town will keep one radio on hand in case another malfunctions.
Currently, the town is using radios loaned by Greenbrier County 911, Williams stated.
Additionally, it was noted that $20,490 in funding would go towards upgrading the Rainelle Volunteer Fire Department’s Polaris Ranger Rescue Unit, purchased through a grant by the Doctor Cales Foundation.
“There is not another fire department, I believe, that has this type of equipment,” Williams said.
The ATV will be used to handle brush fires and rescue people on the Meadow River Trail, or in any place that a full-size vehicle cannot go, Recorder Eddie Midkiff noted. ATV upgrades will include doors, windshield wipers, side view mirrors, a road-legal package, emergency lights, enclosed trailer, two spare tires, stokes basket, medical skid unit, vinyl wrap, backup alarm and an air pump/electric jack.
Lastly, Williams announced at the Sept. 27 council meeting that ARPA funding will be used to pave Kanawha, Oak, Locust, Fayette, 16th, 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th and 9th streets and WV Avenue for $96,950. Paving, by Southern WV Paving, will begin in mid-October. Residents living along those streets will be notified when their street will be affected, Williams said.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, was signed into law in March. Through the act, federal grant funding is being provided to state and local governments to improve infrastructure and to help recover from the Coronavirus pandemic.
With 262,533.04 remaining in ARPA funding, Rainelle officials still have a big budget for making additional purchases.
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