City Task Force Gives Green Light To Hiring Consultancy Firm For ARPA Funds

By Dean Wright, The Bristol Press

September 8, 2021

The Bristol Economic and Community Development Board of Commissioners Thursday reported that the Bristol American Rescue Plan Task Force had approved a motion for the hiring of a consulting agency to help with the reporting and spending of $28 million in federal covid recovery funding.

Bristol Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu said the firm being considered is called UHY.

“We had a productive meeting last week,” said task force member and Board Commissioner Howard Schmelder. “We still haven’t gotten (a lot of) direction of where to go but we’re making progress. There are a lot of ideas on the table. The mayor passed out a chart with all these people and projects that might qualify… The real thing I think we need is a real direction I think, especially with the nonprofits as to what we can and can’t do.”

The American Rescue Plan Task Force approved a one-year contract motion for the consulting firm, which will next go before the Bristol Board of Finance for consideration. The city can seek to renew the contract over the course of the city’s reception of ARPA money into 2025.

City officials have said they haven’t received a great deal of guidance from the federal government with how the money may be appropriately spent.

“The only thing I would add is we hired a consultant,” said task force and Board Commissioner Mick Goldwasser. “We want to bring in someone to help manage the process. So someone’s going to help the Comptroller’s Office and the best way to evaluate things…”

“The key for them is they’re going to help us develop process and manage the whole project,” he continued.

The mayor added the consulting firm would also help with the “arduous amount of financial reporting” that has to go back to the federal government regarding the spending of ARPA funding.

“We need to be very diligent on that because anything that is a misstep in terms of eligibility or ineligibility may come back to the city if we have expended funds and they deem them not appropriate. We would then have to take those monies out of our own budget,” said the mayor.

She noted the city would have to be careful in its spending.

The consulting firm would be paid through the $28 million in federal money and is currently working with other municipalities in similar projects. Goldwasser said the proposed arrangement with the firm was also “at-will.”

The funds coming to Bristol is part of federal actions to assist local governments in recovering from pandemic-related challenges. This funding is meant to assist municipalities with development, resident housing needs as well as in challenges facing businesses and nonprofit organizations.