Yorktown Planning To Spend Pandemic Recovery Funds

YORKTOWN, NY — Faced with spending $3.7 million in pandemic recovery funds, the town of Yorktown received a proposed list of ideas from the public and an appointed task force.

Road repairs and upgrades were among the top requests from respondents to a survey, as well as the task force.

Residents also asked for new streetscapes and bicycle lanes in downtown Yorktown Heights.

“We got really good ideas and great insight into what people were thinking,” Supervisor Matt Slater said. “Some of the suggestions were fantastic.”

The task force’s proposed spending included study pods for the library, street drainage improvements, lights at Downing Field and security cameras at the community center.

Councilman Sergio Esposito said the list was a perfect place to start.

“It’s based on a list that we polled from the public,” he said, “and it was in line with what we wanted. Let’s move forward.”

The funds come from the American Rescue Plan Act, which was signed into law March 11, 2021. The act was designed to provide aid to state, county and local governments affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yorktown received a total of about $3.7 million in aid in two equal parts. The funding can only be spent as stipulated by ARPA, such as on infrastructure, public safety and enhancements to town services.

The town received the first half of the funds last year and the second half in 2022.

On the task force was Slater, Comptrollor Patriica Caporale, Councilman Tom Diana, Highway Superintendent Dave Paganelli and Richard Fon as a taxpayer representative.