WINTHROP — Set to receive $600,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from the federal government, town officials discussed Monday how that money could be best utilized amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The act requires that all towns obligate this money no later than Dec. 31, 2024, and that it is spent by Dec. 31, 2026.

Town Manager Jeffrey Kobrock said he and staff went through allowable expenditures and created a draft of proposed funding categories. Among the suggestions were upgrading information technology and phone systems so the town is remote work ready, improving the capacity for remote meetings, and modifying town work spaces and facilities for COVID-19.

“When the pandemic hit, we operated in a very ad hoc mode for quite some time, because we had no ability to plan and we had no funds to draw upon,” Kobrock said. “So we might want to take the time right now to make ourselves ready to operate in this mode for some period of time and to operate efficiently and effectively. So, part of the idea would be to invest in our computer infrastructure and telecommunications, so that we’re not patching things together and doing the best that we can, but we’re actually ready to do that.”

Also under consideration for the funds are purchasing a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system that could help filter the virus from the air, security upgrades that may intersect with COVID-19 and be covered under the act, a townwide communications upgrade, premium pay for essential workers, enhancing online services to make town services easier to access on the web, enhancing the public beach for COVID-19 restrictions, and water and sewer improvements.

Councilor Rita Moran asked if the funding could be used to assist unemployed workers, as one of the causes for unemployment is that parents are unable to find child care. While the money could be used for that, Kobrock said the town does not have the current capacity to accomplish that.

Council Chairperson Sarah Fuller said that in order to do that, the town would need to create and sustain a new system. But ARPA funding is meant for one-time expenditures.

Councilor Elizabeth Peters asked if money allocated to the town’s water and sewer could be used to improve infrastructure and potentially lower the bills going out to consumers, or if it could be set aside to help ratepayers who became ill or lost their job and are unable to pay their bill.

To handle that, Winthrop would need to development a grant program, as well as create a system to determine which ratepayers have the greatest need for assistance, which Kobrock said the town does not currently have the capacity to do.

“I’m not saying we can’t do all of that, but we can’t do it with our present organizational capacity,” he said. “I think Sarah’s point was a really good one, anything we invest in now either has to be one and done, or we need to be ready to sustain it with general fund money in the future.”

Councilor Linda Caprara suggested looking into funding for broadband services as well as personal protective equipment, but was opposed to funding any additional unemployment benefits.

“There are enough jobs out there,” she said. “People cannot find people to work. We have businesses calling every day. They are crying for people. It’s hurting the economy.”

Community member Priscilla Jenkins suggested looking at a housing authority or working with Kennebec County to address housing in the community.

“We already lost a teacher this year, because a teacher could not find housing in time,” she said. “It’s a national problem, but it’s very real for us also.”

Fuller said housing is an issue for nearly every community, and asked Kobrock about reporting guidelines for the funding. She said grant programs, for example, often require invoices, a memorandum of understanding, proof of payment and also ensuring that everyone receiving money is eligible.

Kobrock said those details are currently unclear.

“That’s why everyone is being so careful about developing plans for these funds,” he said. “There is so little information coming from the (federal government) about these types of details.”

Caprara said she doesn’t support using the money for anything that isn’t already completely cut and dry, because it may lead to problems down the road. Councilor Barbara Alexander said she totally disagreed, and that the point of the funding is that it will have a wide range of potential uses.

“The (government) wants this money out there,” said Alexander. “I mean there will be bureaucrats and there will be forms and there will be reporting. I have no doubt, but there’s an opportunity here to do some really nice, socially acceptable, things in addition to the very good list that we have here.”

Caprara reiterated that the town should be very careful with how they use the money.

“I’m not voting to use it in a way that may come back later on to bite us,” she said. “I’m just not doing that.”

Alexander also suggested looking into purchasing a smart TV for municipal meetings.

“Right now they’re faceless and they have no accountability to the rest of the people in the room,” she said. “I think having a big screen would be very helpful.”

Even before the pandemic hit, Alexander said she had thought that equipping the town for a remote meetings would help accommodate those unable to attend due to illness, the weather or other reasons.

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