Stimmy Summit: Framingham Council Forum On Stimulus Funds

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham will get close to $27 million from the federal government as part of a recent pandemic stimulus bill — but most of the money still hasn't been allocated yet.

That's where Framingham residents come in.

On Sept. 28, the City Council Finance Subcommittee will hold a public forum to gather input on what should be done with the stimulus funds. In addition to Councilors, members of the School Committee and Strategic Initiatives and Financial Oversight Committee will be there.

When the feds approved the American Rescue Plan (ARPA), they set some rules for how the money can be spent. In general, Framingham can use the money on infrastructure upgrades, replacing municipal revenue lost in the pandemic and reimbursements for pandemic-related losses.

Mayor Yvonne Spicer earlier this year launched a survey seeking feedback on what to do with the money. A proposal on how to spend a majority of the money is forthcoming, but Spicer's administration wants to use about $8.3 million from the city's ARPA block to plug deficits in the water and sewer enterprise funds.

Many other cities and towns are hosting similar public forums on ARPA spending. Worcester, which is getting about $110 million, is holding a series public forums to decide what to do with about $10 million for "community-driven projects that improve neighborhood vitality and quality of life," for example.

The Finance Subcommittee's ARPA forum will begin on Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. Residents can attend live at City Hall, or via Zoom.