Norwich — Several residents Monday urged the City Council to support proposals to use American Rescue Plan grant money to upgrade the city’s recreation fields and parks and build a splashpad and agreed that money should be used to improve city neighborhoods.

Speakers also said the city needs a community center for youths and urged the council to support private organizations that have been filling the void for years by providing sports and youth services.

The City Council held an hour-long public forum to hear residents’ input on how the city should spend its two years of American Rescue Plan funding that totals nearly $30 million. City Manager John Salomone presented a plan July 6 for the first $9 million of the first-year grant, leaving nearly $5 million unallocated.

Highlights of Salomone plan include $2.1 million to complete a heritage park at the Uncas Leap historical site; $2.1 million for Norwich Human Services to address emergency needs of residents hurt by the pandemic; $2 million for the Norwich Community Development Corp. to revive and expand the former downtown revitalization program and a $1.2 million for a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut for new and renovated affordable housing.

Deputy Corey Poore explained that the $300,000 proposed for the police department would be divided, with $258,000 to hire three officers that were cut from the city budget in spring. The remaining $42,000 would address gun violence issues he attributed to confrontations between Norwich and New London gangs that have erupted at times.

Resident Brian Kobylarz questioned whether the Uncas Leap project, a proposed $470,000 to upgrade city recreation parks and the economic development money for NCDC even qualified for the ARP grant. Kobylarz said he has read through the hundreds of pages of federal guidance and did not believe those projects qualified. He instead urged the council to support the many small businesses hurt by the pandemic.

“You’ve got a lot of mom-and-pop businesses out there that are going to be closed before the end of the year,” Kobylarz said.

Cara-Lynn Turner, vice president of the privately run Night Flight Basketball League, strongly supported the plan to spend $120,000 to upgrade the heavily used Jenkins Park sports complex. She and Derrick Smith, president of Norwich Youth Football League, also asked for improvements to Jennings Field, where the league plays, possibly installing artificial turf to save on wear and tear and maintenance.

Turner also suggested the proposed splashpad be placed at Jenkins Park.

Turner said Night Flight, the football league, the Greater Norwich Anti-Bullying Coalition and other private groups should receive support, because they continued to provide much-needed services throughout the pandemic.

A second public forum on the ARP spending plan will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 30. The City Council is expected to vote on the plan Sept. 7.

c.bessette@theday.com