Seneca County officials are moving to redirect federal pandemic aid that cannot be spent on Willard redevelopment before a year-end deadline, a shift that could free about $257,000 in county money for other projects.
The Ways and Means Committee on Oct. 27 advanced an amended plan reallocating approximately $390,388 in American Rescue Plan Act funding. Separately, supervisors began discussing where the county dollars freed by the move could go.
Supervisor Jeffrey Trout said he would prefer to direct much of that benefit toward the county’s southern end, where the Willard redevelopment money was originally intended to support investment.
Potential uses include Ovid redevelopment, water system repairs, housing studies and infrastructure that could help support a grocery store near Ovid.
State property transfer remains unresolved
The county previously set aside $500,000 for Willard redevelopment projects and authorized another $100,000 for consulting and support services associated with the campus.
But the state owns the property and has not provided a timeline for transferring it to Seneca County. That has prevented the county from spending the remaining redevelopment allocation before the federal deadline.
The reallocation plan addresses money remaining in the Willard accounts, along with balances from other ARPA-funded initiatives. An earlier allocation had already directed approximately $189,718 toward airport taxilane paving.
Under the new proposal, federal funding would cover eligible county expenses, including Office for the Aging and Three Bears renovations and water and sewer director wages and benefits.
The committee added $24,000 for a previously funded highway feasibility study, increasing the proposed reallocation from approximately $366,388 to $390,388.
County money could support other projects
Finance staff explained that using ARPA funds to reimburse earlier county spending would make approximately $257,000 available in the county’s contingency account.
That distinction matters: supervisors were discussing potential uses for county money freed by the reimbursements, rather than awarding the same federal dollars directly to a new list of projects.
Trout outlined several possibilities, including immediate repairs to the Hillside water tower serving Romulus, Varick and Fayette.
He also suggested a water and sewer study for potential development along Route 414 across from del Lago, assistance with a Seneca Falls hotel study, and a Waterloo study focused on middle-income housing.
Another possibility involves the Ovid-Romulus water line and infrastructure that could support a grocery store in the town of Romulus near the village of Ovid.
Trout presented those ideas for supervisors to consider. The discussion did not select projects or establish funding amounts for them.
Remaining federal balances need attention
Finance staff said approximately $24,000 remained available for Route 414 sewer repairs, while about $27,000 would remain in the Grow Seneca allocation after the committee’s amendment.
Those federal balances still need to be addressed before the Dec. 31 spending deadline.
The approximately $257,000 in freed county contingency money would return to fund balance if it is not used by year’s end, staff said.
Trout said the Willard money had been intended to benefit the southern end of the county and argued that the new spending discussion should retain that focus.
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