We’ve all been affected by the pandemic in one way or another, and the cumulative effect of each of our hardships has been felt by the city itself. As businesses cope with both worker shortages and a travel and hospitality sector that is slow to rebound, our city simultaneously sits at the edge of a housing crisis that may leave many people with no place to live and little choice but to leave the community all together.
David Kloiber, 6th District Councilmember | Photo by Amy Wallot LFUCG
Our local officials have been working hard to alleviate these hardships, creating and administering many supportive initiatives such as our recent rental assistance and small-business loan programs. However, our ability to stimulate a recovery from the effects of this pandemic are heavily tied to the funding we secure from the federal and state governments. This fact, more than most, provides an important context for the conversation surrounding the relief money our city will soon receive, one-time funds that have the potential to strongly shape our future growth and stability.
Earlier this year, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was passed through Congress with the intent of providing funding to local communities. The goal was to allow individual municipalities to determine uses for these funds – uses that would best aid in both their current economic recovery as well as their future preparedness for another pandemic. Our local council is now tasked with figuring out a plan to allocate $120 million of relief funding, a task that requires the development of a brand new specialized process.
At first glance, the amount of money may seem like a lot, but it can quickly disappear into projects for a city of our size. Proposals for economic development through improved amenities, workforce training, affordable housing and infrastructure are all being considered, but since these are one-time funds, we have a sensitivity to ongoing costs. In light of this, we are constantly evaluating projects that are self-sustaining or revenue-generating, in order to ensure their transformational effects exist long after these funds are gone.
Council is working hard to optimize this opportunity, but these decisions are too big to be made in a vacuum. Over the past few months, public meetings and surveys have been conducted throughout the city, and we have received many promising ideas from this public engagement. This fall, Council will bring forth proposals for discussion, and hopefully through this collaboration we can find the best path forward for Lexington so that no matter what projects are chosen, we can all be certain ample consideration has been given into how best to revitalize and enhance our beloved city.