Eventually, Guilford County will run out of American Rescue Plan (ARP) money.

However, at an afternoon work session on Thursday, Sept. 15, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners was still giving that ARP money out at a wicked pace with votes to fund requested projects such as workforce readiness initiatives, youth wellness programs, support for the homeless and arts initiatives.

Guilford County began earlier this year with $104 million of ARP funds and, before the Sept. 15 work session, the county had already allocated about $58 million.

At the work session this week, the commissioners handed out $8.3 million more.  Funding approved at Thursday’s three and a half-hour meeting included the following.

  • $5.5 million for the City of High Point to support projects. Of that, $2 million will be used to help transform the city’s former police station into a community-based center “designed to increase access to healthy foods, health services, job skill training, agribusiness development, and youth development.” And $3 million will be used for the D-UP Inc. Washington Street Enhancement Project which is meant to revitalize that area and help meet the D-UP expansion goal to serve more youth and families through project’s such as educational opportunities, a gym and arts facility “for all ages and abilities.”

Finally for High Point, $500,000 of that $5.5 million will go to the YMCA of High Point for the Out of School Time and Social and Emotional Learning and Enrichment/Physical Activity Program at the city’s Hartley and Chavis YMCA branches.

  • $2.8 million will go to the Town of Jamestown for sidewalks, parks, and other infrastructure improvements.

Thursday’s meeting was the fourth in a series of summer work sessions where the board has heard proposals for the federal money.  Guilford County has now given out or committed to giving out roughly $67 million in all from the $104 million.

 

About