Ths map shows the boundaries of the City of West Lafayette. People within the red zone are asked to participate in the survey.
Due to the long-lasting effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Department of Treasury allocated funds across the United States to help with economic relief via the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) from which the city of West Lafayette received $11.4 million dollars.
This money was sent in response to the pandemic and its negative economic impact on households, small businesses, and nonprofits. It can also be used to provide aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality, and to make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure
The U.S. Department of Treasury released guidelines in May 2021 that included information about eligible uses, ineligible uses, and allocations/reporting requirements for metropolitan cites.
Under the same act in April 2021, school corporations were given money to reimburse them for their pandemic related expenses. The Lafayette School Corporation received 17.4 million while West Lafayette School Corporation (WLSC) received 1.4 million. Unlike the current money given to the cities, this money was allocated based on the school corporation’s percentage of low-income students. WLSC used their funds for pandemic related costs as well as student mental health services.
West Lafayette city officials asked residents within the city limits to share their ideas as to how they want these new city-wide funds to be utilized. For that purpose, a survey, due by October 4, was sent to residents. West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis told WLFI 18 that the public’s input is vital for success in the community.
The city has until December 2024 to use the funds. Check out this link to fill out the survey and for more information: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FL9G2Y9
By Sarah Peterson