North Liberty to allocate last $300K of ARPA funds

NORTH LIBERTY --- The North Liberty City Council is grappling with how to spend the last $300,000 of the $2.9 million the city received in American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Communities have until Dec. 31 to decide how to spend the money, authorized by Congress in the wake of the pandemic. Any project funded with ARPA funds must be completed by 2026. If ARPA funds are left over at the end of 2026, they must be returned to the U.S. treasury department.

The council had planned to use the money to renovate the community center’s indoor pool locker rooms, but the project estimate came in three times higher than the remaining funds.

City staff is now recommending the final ARPA funds be used for Phase 1 of the community center parking project, which includes resurfacing the parking lot on the west side of the building, adding an access road on the east side and potentially adding a walkway to a nearby trail.

“It’s certainly not the most exciting project … but it’s needed. It will be a significant project because that parking lot is failing,” City Administrator Ryan Heiar said at a recent council meeting.

The work is estimated to cost $360,000 and also would include sidewalk repairs and stormwater drain replacements.

While council members indicated they would be OK with that work, some suggested other options be explored.

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“If a parking lot is big and important for our community, I think that’s fine,” council member Erek Sittig said. “But this is money that we would not have had, and those are expenses that we would have had. I would encourage us to think outside the box on what we can actually do here.”

Mayor Chris Hoffman, a non-voting member of the council, favors using the ARPA dollars for the parking lot project.

“This is just another example of money that was provided to communities across the country to do good for their communities that might have a really direct impact, like the (food) pantry, or might lessen the tax burden or revenue burden,” Hoffman said. “I think the parking lot project is one that will lessen the burden on the budget.”

North Liberty has used ARPA funds for such projects as Centennial Park and the Liberty Centre pond repairs, the North Liberty Community Pantry, affordable housing and social service programs.

Council members decided to research options and work with city staff on their feasibility. Other uses for the federal funds could be presented at the council’s next meeting Nov. 12.

“I would be more in favor of some or most of this money going to the swimming pool upgrades or maintenance of the indoor pool,” council member Brent Smith said. “Something that is more usable now … something that might have us on a cleaner path to not have the pool closed as much.”

The North Liberty pool has been closed for periods of time to allow for routine maintenance.

The city’s initial plan to renovate the indoor pool’s locker rooms had an estimate of $250,000. After working with the Shive-Hattery architectural and engineering firm, however, the project’s estimated cost became $900,000. There also were concerns about whether the work could be completed by the end of 2026.

Renovations of the community center, including the pool locker rooms, remains a priority for city staff.

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