NCLM.ORG 13 ARP CORNER The American Rescue Plan in Action he American Rescue Plan offers a generational opportunity for our municipalities, not just to recover from the pandemic, but to thrive well into the future. It is this forward-looking aspect of the ARP that is most consequential. How best can we utilize this money to create a lasting impact? All across North Carolina, cities and towns are developing plans and programs specifically geared towards this question, and history shows us that these projects will be successful. When our municipalities receive financial support, they achieve substantial successes. Cities get the job done. This ongoing series will showcase those projects, plans, and transformational investments, both to highlight the end-to-end impressive work of our municipalities and to share best practices with other cities and towns. MOORESVILLE: MEETING BOTH IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM NEEDS Mooresville, NC Population: 50,193 Funds Received: $12.47 million Plan • Capital Investment: Liberty Park Outdoor Recreation Improvement • Employee Premium Pay • Employee Vaccination Incentive • Funding outside organizations most affected by the pandemic Mooresville’s decided-upon investments will be made solely with the town’s first tranche of ARP funds, totaling approximately $6.2 million. Additional projects, if approved, will be funded using the town’s second tranche. Ideas under consideration include cybersecurity, transportation, and additional support to organizations serving those most affected by COVID-19. Strategy • Make long-term impact through investments in infrastructure • Address immediate pandemic-related needs • Promptly allocate first tranche of ARP funds; leave second tranche of funds flexible and continue to consider local needs Mooresville is a rapidly growing town that has seen its population balloon more than 53% over the last 10 years. With that level of growth comes both challenges and opportunity. There is the need for significant infrastructural investments to meet the demands of the growing population, and through those needed investments, there is the unique occasion to set the town up for success through well-planned and transformational improvements. Local leaders are proving up to the task. Mooresville’s ARP plan hits the mark on both long- and short-term issues. “We have tremendous capital needs for the next five years as a growing community, so we look for opportunities where the ARP funds could fill in the gaps,” said Assistant Town Manager Beau Falgout. “How can these funds be leveraged to do those capital projects to have a long-lasting impact?” Towards the long-term vision, the majority of first tranche funds is going towards a capital project—Liberty Park. That project has been a long-held goal of the town, and will include trail improvements, playground improvements, water features, multi-use facilities, and overall site improvements. The rapidly growing community necessitated increased and improved public space, and that goal took on added significance with the need for outdoor places due to the pandemic. In the short-term, Mooresville focused on COVID-specific actions: vaccine incentives, employee premium pay, and outside funding to areas of the community most impacted by the pandemic. Both these initiatives and the Liberty Park project are funded by Mooresville’s first tranche. The town’s second tranche has not yet been allocated. “We’ve developed a plan, then left some flexibility for the second tranche,” said Falgout. “The first tranche addresses immediate needs and closes some funding gaps to have long-term impact.” Administration Website. Mooresville’s plan has been transparently communicated to its citizens through the town’s ARP webpage. This site contains both information on the federal legislation, exact funding amounts towards each project, and contact information for public input. Citizen engagement. Funds in both tranches are dedicated towards funding outside agencies addressing those most impacted by the pandemic, and the town has created a website to receive feedback on that topic. The town has accepted public T continues on page 14
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