CONNOQUENESSING — Borough council voted at their monthly meeting on Tuesday night, May 7 to commit to using their share of American Rescue Plan Act funding for improvements to parking and lighting at the municipal building.

According to the website for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, that funding amounts to $71,070.40, which was received in two equally-sized portions — the first coming in mid-2021 and the second coming 12 months later.

During the meeting, Supervisor Rob Campbell mentioned the parking lot at the municipal building on Constitution Avenue.

“The parking lot back here is restricted,” Campbell said. “It’s hard to turn around.”

The municipal building is tucked within the Connoquenessing Borough Park and has limited parking. Campbell suggested improving the parking situation at the municipal building by expanding the back parking lot, which is up a hill from the front parking lot.

“If we went ahead with it, I would have that parking lot enlarged back in that area,” Campbell said, “so you could have that parking and then be able to turn around.”

Other supervisors and borough staff members suggested adding lighting improvements to the parking lot, as well as adding improvements for stormwater runoff, as long as such projects are permitted under ARPA-funded guidelines.

This conversation was necessary because, according to the guidelines of the ARPA funds, all municipalities who receive ARPA funding through the state of Pennsylvania must make a commitment on how to spend that money by the end of 2024.

“We have to have it under contract to be used by a certain date at the end of this year, or it’ll go away,” Campbell said.

As defined by the state, municipalities can use ARPA funds in five ways. These include investing in critical infrastructure, providing pay for essential workers, replacing lost public sector revenue, supporting public health expenditures, and addressing negative economic impacts from COVID-19.