For Immediate Release: American Rescue Plan Act Advisory Committee Formed
A collaborative effort to establish funding priorities
April 15, 2022 (Barnstable, MA) – The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Advisory Committee, a group comprised of regional leaders, has begun meeting to develop guidelines for approval of projects to be funded through the $41 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds received by Barnstable County.
The Advisory Committee’s mission is to advise the Barnstable County Board of Commissioners and Assembly of Delegates on regional funding priorities and recommend criteria to identify regional priority projects for funding.
The Advisory Committee held its first meeting on Thursday, April 7, 2022, at the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce in Centerville. The group committed to a data-informed, evidence-based process designed to ensure funding for priority regional projects that benefit those most impacted by the pandemic.
During Thursday’s meeting, Barnstable County Administrator Beth Albert provided the Advisory Committee with an overview of the ARPA process, funds received, and categories of eligible use as prioritized by the Board of Regional Commissioners. Assistant County Administrator Vaira Harik reviewed the County’s Community Engagement Survey results. Cape Cod Commission Executive Director Kristy Senatori outlined regional priorities identified by the Cape Cod Commission through a broad stakeholder process in the Regional Policy Plan and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy including housing, infrastructure, water quality, and long-term economic stability.
The Advisory Committee is comprised of Paul Niedzwiecki (Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce) (chair), Dorothy Savarese (Cape Cod Five), Dan Wolf (Cape Air), Lisa Guyon (We Can), Sean Gonsalves (Institute for Local Self-Reliance), Wendy Northcross (JFK Hyannis Museum Foundation), Karen Gardner (Community Health Center of Cape Cod) and Kristin O’Malley (Cape Cod Foundation).
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