Wayland Wants Input On Spending $2.4M In Stimulus Funds

WAYLAND, MA — Wayland has a few million to spend and wants your ideas on how to do that.

The town will host a forum Oct. 27 about how the town should spend its remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds. ARPA was a $1.9 trillion federal stimulus bill that sent billions to states, counties, cities and towns across the nation.

Based on its population, Wayland got $4.1 million through ARPA and has already spent about $1.7 million. That means the town still has $2.4 million to spend — and has to do it before December 2024, according to the federal government.

The money was meant to help communities recover from the pandemic, so the money can't be used for just anything.

"Possible uses may include: supporting public health response efforts or addressing negative economic impacts; replacing public sector revenue loss; establishing premium pay for essential workers; investments in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure," the town said.

The Wayland ARPA Subcommittee is in charge of recommending how to spend the money. You can tell the committee your ideas at a Zoom forum set for Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.