Albion village to consider how to best spend remaining $150K in ARPA funds

Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Aug. 14, 2016 shows people on a tour of Mount Albion Cemetery, near the chapel that was built in 1875 with a slate roof. The building and its roof could use repairs.

ALBION – The Albion Village Board wants to hear from its department heads on how the village should best spend about $150,000 remaining in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

The village was approved for $585,812 in federal funding through ARPA. The board has given department heads until next month to submit proposals for the remaining money.

Some ideas from village officials already have been submitted, including slate roof repairs at the chapel at Mount Albion Cemetery, a new pump at the sewer plant, new picnic tables and a pavilion at Bullard Park, a panic button and handicapped accessible door at the Village Office, a utility box on an pickup truck used by the Albion Fire Department (to carry EMS supplies).

The village also will be doing a new building by its water plant to store fluoride. The village was approved for a $305,000 grant towards the building, but the low bid for the project is $388,000. Village officials are checking to see if the ARPA funds could go towards the $83,000 that isn’t covered by the grant.

Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley urged all of the departments to submit their proposals with estimated costs so the board can prioritize how to spend the money.