GEORGETOWN — The city of Georgetown has a draft plan to spend its more than $4.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds over the next five years, but many residents were unhappy to see the city's West End left out of it.
The federal government allows COVID relief funds to be used for public health and the pandemic's economic impacts, premium pay for employees, government service revenue loss and water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.
With this in mind, Georgetown has proposed the majority of its funding to go toward city water infrastructure improvements, specifically through a project in Maryville.
The project would use $2.4 million in total to replace water lines, add fire hydrants, restore street and driveway asphalt, and replace aged equipment in raw water station and the Maryville lift station.
The current lift station, which is as an underground wastewater collection point, has been in place since the 1960s, and is in desperate need of replacement, the city said.
Several residents told city administrator Sandra Yudice during a public meeting about the drafted allocations Sept. 21 that they believed some of this funding should go towards water infrastructure improvements on the West End rather than Maryville.
"We have voiced our opinions on being included, what I do not understand is why is it that everyone treats the West End as if it is not a part of Georgetown city?" community activist Jackie Williams said during the meeting.
Yudice countered by saying the $540,000 West End District Water Main Upgrade project, included in this year's fiscal budget, would take care of those issues.
But about 10 residents still argued some federal funds should go to the neighborhood, with some suggesting shifting the $200,000 for Wi-Fi in city parks to the West End.
Some residents also called for investments in affordable housing, streetscaping and and nonprofits across the city, but the COVID funds cannot be used for projects outside of federal government restrictions. Funds spent outside those requirements must be returned to the federal government, Yudice repeated to residents several times.
Georgetown City Council will have a workshop Sept. 23 to adjust the drafted allocations based on public input, and a public hearing about the adjusted allocations will occur before the Nov. 18 council meeting. The procurement process for the projects will begin once the plan is given final approval by council during that same meeting.
The $4.3 million will be split into two equal parts, one to go into next year's fiscal budget and the other into the 2023 budget. Georgetown's other proposed allocations include:
- Adding Wi-Fi in several local parks — $200,000
- Premium pay for city employees — $350,000
- Improved indoor air quality at future city hall and other city owned public buildings — $200,000
- Economic recovery micro-grants to small businesses to address negative impacts from COVID-19 — $100,000
- City revenue loss — $994,866
- A contract with the Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments to administer the funds — $100,000
