All of the $6.6 million in federal ARPA funding allocated to West Chester Township has been committed to the township’s storm water infrastructure projects, Spokesperson Barbara Wilson said.
Federal regulations require localities to distribute their ARPA funds before the end of 2024 and to use them all up before 2026. Wilson said that after the township received guidelines on how the ARPA funds could be used, the authorities decided to commit it towards the township’s aging stormwater infrastructure system.
Journal-News reported:
“[It’s something] we’ve been concerned about for a number of years,” Wilson said, adding that the influx of federal dollars will allow the township to address the need with minimal cost to local taxpayers.
“Addressing this aging infrastructure asset in the community may not specifically address problems created by the pandemic, but it falls within the permitted uses and relieves a burden that could have eventually fallen on the shoulders of taxpayers in a more direct way,” Wilson said.
The township still has $4.7 million in officially unencumbered funds, but Wilson said the funds are entirely verbally committed to the stormwater infrastructure project.
