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    • Warren commits pandemic aid for public safety salaries, infrastructure work
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    Warren commits pandemic aid for public safety salaries, infrastructure work

    Umito Posted on

    Warren plans to spend some of the money from her American Rescue Plan on paying off police and fire salaries and replacing sidewalks and water and sewer lines.

    Warren will use some of its remaining pandemic funds to cover police and fire salaries, as well as fund sidewalks, Warren officials said Tuesday.

    The Warren City Council unanimously passed resolutions Tuesday evening approving the use of the more than $12.8 million remaining in American Rescue Plan Act funding.

    President Joe Biden signed the pandemic relief package known as ARPA into law in March 2021, and communities have until the end of the year to commit the funds they received under of this law. The city received $27.3 million in the stimulus funding, the majority of which has already been allocated for expenses including renovations to park restrooms and a library, city officials said.

    The remaining funds include $10 million to reimburse police and fire salaries. City Comptroller Richard Fox said ARPA money would pay only a small portion of total police and fire compensation this fiscal year.

    Warren Deputy City Comptroller Mark Knapp said Warren’s spending during the COVID-19 pandemic included worker and public safety. The city also closed some buildings, like parks and recreation facilities, creating a loss of revenue. Law enforcement has already been paid, but earmarking the funds will free up other expenses in Warren.

    Knapp said the federal government is allowing Warren to use up to $10 million in ARPA funds to pay for lost revenue, and the city is using that money to pay police officers and firefighters.

    City Council President Angela Rogensues said public safety pay wouldn’t necessarily be her “first choice” for how the city spends “what most say is one-time funding for the community.” It prefers to invest in infrastructure, including water, roads, sidewalks and tree canopies. However, she said public safety is one of the city’s primary responsibilities.

    “And police and fire are the foundation of public safety,” she said. “If we think about our roles and responsibilities as a municipality, this is an appropriate way to support the city.”

    The City Council also approved $1.8 million in funding from ARPA for sidewalk replacement, focusing first on the city’s worst neighborhoods, and more than $1 million for replacement infrastructure. Knapp said the city plans to spend $1 million to replace water and sewer lines.

    The council has already committed other ARPA funds, including for a new library in southeast Warren, bathroom renovations at one park and a splash pad at another park.

    Some ARPA funds have also been dedicated to water and sewer infrastructure projects associated with Macomb County. Innovation Mound project, but Warren had money left over after this project was completed.

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