In Scranton, Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti has effectively deployed the American Rescue Plan Act to tackle the most pressing issues facing her community. From supporting small businesses and expanding childcare access to investing in community wellness programs, Cognetti has capitalized on the flexible use of ARPA funds to meet the varied and changing needs of her city.

Furthermore, after a strong storm in September, 2023 hammered parts of Keyser Valley and North Scranton, Cognetti quickly announced a flood relief fund leveraging ARPA dollars.

The new budget allocation provides up to $5,000 for eligible households and provides other support to nonprofit organizations and businesses recovering from flood damages. These Disaster Recovery grants can be used for costs related to property repair, appliance repair or replacement, debris removal, insurance deductibles, and moving. “By reallocating more than $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, we are providing some financial relief from the September storm and enacting long-term plans to prevent future flooding across the City,” said Gebhardt Cognetti.

Scranton’s original ARPA budget allocated $17 million in various stormwater management efforts, including funds to form a regional Stormwater Management Authority that would execute cooperative plans across municipalities to prepare for and prevent damage from events like September’s flash flood.

The American Rescue Plan Act empowers local leaders to use the funds on initiatives they believe will have the greatest impact in their communities. This encompasses long-term projects that were previously sidelined due to resource limitations and competing interests. In coordination with state officials, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird has had the opportunity to use ARPA funds to make tremendous progress on the “Water 2.0: Securing Lincoln’s Second Source” project, underscoring the need to begin planning now to ensure that the Lincoln Water System has the capacity to meet the demand of a growing city.

In 2023, Baird officially endorsed her Water Source Advisory Council’s formal recommendation to pursue a wellfield and treatment facility on the Missouri River with a direct transport line to Lincoln. This solution was identified after an extensive review of 14 possible solutions.

With $20 million allocated from ARPA by the state legislature, Lincoln is positioned to take the next steps to upgrading its existing infrastructure, enhancing capacity, and laying the groundwork for the transition to a new water system. At the same time, the city will finalize the planning and design to begin construction on the new project.

“This effort will be the largest and singularly most important public works project for Lincoln’s growth, health, and vitality into the future,” Baird said. “Identifying and securing a second source of water will strengthen our economic and environmental resilience for decades to come.”