BERLIN – Town officials approved a spending plan for the more than $4.7 million in federal relief funds Berlin is set to receive.
The Berlin Town Council on Monday approved a list of projects to be completed with the town’s $4,794,227 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Approval came after the council amended the plan to dedicate more money to stormwater projects in town.
“I think stormwater is a major priority for this town,” Councilman Jay Knerr said.
Berlin has already received not quite $2.4 million in ARPA funding and is set to receive another almost $2.4 million by the end of the year. As proposed, the ARPA spending plan allocates $754,990 to smart water meters and $300,000 for installation of those meters. The plan also includes $110,000 for a drainage project on Washington Street, $350,000 for the Branch Street well replacement, $28,000 for a strategic plan, $30,000 for an update to the comprehensive plan, $135,500 for portable radios, $50,000 for audio visual equipment for council chambers, $267,520 for fire and EMS equipment, $54,000 in business grants, $50,000 for the digitization of town files and $267,000 for stormwater projects.
The second half of the ARPA funds will primarily be used for a Broad Street lift station, well house on Powellton Avenue and an upgrade of the town’s wastewater treatment plant.
Knerr, however, reiterated comments the council made the last time the plan was discussed and said he wanted to see the $54,000 in business grants and $124,000 for radios removed and diverted instead toward stormwater projects.
The council agreed to approve the ARPA spending plan with the changes approved by Knerr.
Following that, the council went on to approve the $8.8 million fiscal year 2023 budget.
The budget includes a 5% salary increase for town staff and incorporates funding for a variety of equipment and infrastructure upgrades. It also includes funding for a LEOPS (Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System) study, the first step toward implementing a better pension program for law enforcement.
Mayor Zack Tyndall thanked staff for their work in developing the budget and the council members for their input.
“It may be introduced by me as the mayor, but I think it is a pretty good summary of us all coming together to address the projects we have ahead of us for FY23,” he said.
David Fitzgerald, president of the Berlin Fire Company, was the lone speaker during a public hearing on the budget. He stressed that the fire company needed more financial support from the town. He also advocated for the department to be included when the town considered proposed development projects because they put pressure on the fire company.
“If you put these large developments in we need to be at the table,” he said.
He said the fire company was flat funded in the proposed budget. He noted that other town departments had increases in their fuel funding, for example, while the fire company was funded at the same level it had been in recent years.
“The operational budget continuing to be flat is just not going to work,” Fitzgerald said.
Tyndall said that while the town had provided the same $400,000 grant to the fire company that it provided last year, it also allocated an additional $125,000 to support EMS staffing and additional funding for capital purchases.
“This year we’re closer to the $800,000 mark with the inclusion of the capital funds,” Tyndall said. “We are working toward those incremental things, toward increasing the operational grant. This year it is going up $125,000 to help cover the cost of personnel.”
The council voted 3-1, with Councilman Troy Purnell opposed and Councilman Dean Burrell absent, to approve the budget.