Fall River will give some city workers $3,000 COVID bonuses, and ARPA is paying for it

FALL RIVER — Front-line city employees who worked through the COVID pandemic will be receiving one-time bonuses, funded by a $70 million federal appropriation through the American Rescue Plan Act. 

Mayor Paul Coogan confirmed this week that staff in police, fire and Department of Community Maintenance will receive a payment of $3,000. 

Municipal staff who declined to work from home during the months-long pandemic and worked from Government Center offices will be eligible for a $2,500 bonus. 

Coogan said the ARPA payouts, titled “premium pay” under the federal guidelines, will amount to just over $2 million. 

“It’s being done all over the country, and it’s for them working through COVID. It is allowable in the bill, and you can pay up to $25,000, according to the provision,” said Coogan. 

Terms of the bonuses will be worked into new and pending union contracts. 

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City Council supports pay bonuses 

Coogan does not need City Council approval to spend the ARPA funds on these premium pay bonuses, but City Council President Pam Laliberte-Lebeau said she supports the mayor’s decision. 

“It’s one of the ARPA options, and a lot of people had the ability to work from home and stay safe and out of the public,” said Laliberte-Lebeau. “But to keep a city running, not everybody had that choice. We need to value our employees.” 

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City Councilor Linda Pereira agrees that the bonuses are owed to these employees who worked with the public throughout the pandemic. 

“A lot of our people got sick during COVID, and when they got better, they went back to work and kept the city running,” said Pereira.  

The city councilor noted that many private businesses received COVID relief money to keep their employees on the payroll despite gaps in operation during part of the pandemic, but eligible city workers were at work every day and at risk. 

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How Fall River is spending ARPA money

The city will receive the second $35 million installment of the $70 million in ARPA funding it was awarded. Coogan, who has the final say on what projects will be funded for that appropriation, has committed part of the money to a number of projects, including $8.35 million to replace 17,720 feet of aging water lines; $4 million to complete phase 4 of the Quequechan Rail Trail project; and the purchase a MedCat armored ambulance at nearly $300,000.  

The City Council is charged with spending another $16 million in ARPA funds through the Bristol County Commissioner's Office. To date, none of those funds have been allocated to any particular project, although preliminary discussions in the City Council chambers indicate the council is considering water and sewer projects to keep future rate hikes down. 

Jo C. Goode may be reached at jgoode@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism and subscribe to The Herald News today!