Stonington to hold hearing Wednesday on plans for $5.2 million in COVID money
Stonington — Almost $1.5 million to improve heating, air conditioning and ventilation at Town Hall, $200,000 to the Human Services Department for child psychiatric services and $500,000 for a low- and no-interest loan program for residents to make improvements to their homes.
These are among the long list of items contained in the town's proposed plan on how to spend $5.2 million in federal COVID-19 relief money from the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA.
The Board of Finance is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the plan Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Pawcatuck Middle School. Afterward, the board will discuss and finalize a plan that eventually will be voted on by residents at an upcoming town meeting.
A copy of the plan is available in the town clerk's office and online at www.stonington-ct.gov.
The most expensive items are the $1.5 million for HVAC improvements at Town Hall and the Human Services Department.
The plan calls for spending $600,000 to replace the dome that covers the salt supply at the Public Works Department because its concrete walls are deteriorating. Another $200,000 would be used to start a child psychiatric care center in the chorus room of the former Pawcatuck Middle School. The town would look for state money to help fund its operating expenses.
Another $900,000 would be used to link two dead-end water lines and create a looped system to improve fire protection in Pawcatuck. The town expects to receive another $1.9 million in federal money to complete that project.
Another $375,000 would be use for drainage and paving work at Town Hall and $150,000 to create additional parking at the Fourth District Voting Hall in downtown Mystic, helping to alleviate the village's parking shortage. Another $115,000 would be used for paving throughout town.
A total of $150,000 would fund the second half of a study that is investigating the source of additional flows into the Mystic sewer treatment plant that has brought it to capacity and forced the town to implement a moratorium on new sewer hookups. Another $135,000 would be used to further improve the police department radio system and $65,000 to hire a second police dispatcher for the third shift.
The plan also calls for $50,000 for car repairs or down payments for residents so they can have transportation to their jobs.
Another $100,000 each would go to the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce and the Cultural Coalition of Southeastern Connecticut, $28,000 would go to the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce to promote the town, $22,489 would be used for free mental health services for residents and $80,000 for HVAC installation in the Stonington Community Center auditorium and gym. The three libraries that serve the town would get $10,000 each to help defray COVID-19 costs.
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