Tim O’Dell, Department of Development’s grant manager, provided the City Council with a thorough presentation of the city’s current status with American Rescue Plan Act programs. Pictured, is O’Dell during Monday’s City Council meeting. Pictured is Tim O’Dell presenting information to the City Council and city administration. P-J photo by Timothy Frudd

The city’s American Rescue Plan Act programs are already making an impact on the Jamestown community, as the Department of Development continues to implement multiple programs approved by the City Council.

Tim O’Dell, Department of Development’s grant manager, provided a thorough overview of the current status of the department’s various ARPA grant programs.

Based on statistics from the Building Property Infrastructure Improvement, Information Technology and Downtown Small Business Evolution grants, O’Dell said the city currently has dispersed over $300,000 in economic development funding. O’Dell explained that the Building Property Infrastructure Improvement, Information Technology and Downtown Small Business Evolution grants are at the “phase” where each of the grant recipients have been selected and awarded funding.

“I would say in springtime, we can have an expected big increase in this as many of the BPII recipients and some others have to wait until the spring season to begin the roofing projects and receive quotes and whatnot,” O’Dell said.

According to O’Dell, the city currently has 11 economic development projects “in the works,” along with 10 business roofing projects and 10 revitalized businesses that the programs have funded through infrastructure repairs.

O’Dell explained that the businesses that have applied for the ARPA grant programs have committed to creating 119 jobs and that ARPA funding has helped retain 341 current jobs by providing necessary capital assistance for local businesses. ARPA funding has also helped local businesses offer 20 new products and services to the Jamestown community.

In addition to helping revitalize local businesses, the city’s ARPA programs have already started to impact community members.

O’Dell said the Roof, Sewer, Lateral and Waterline Replacement Program is currently underway.

“We have $215,730 ARPA roof grant funds dispersed thus far,” he said. “That is 12 roofs for the city of Jamestown homeowners, and there are also 15 currently that contractors are bidding on. Similarly to the BPII, when springtime occurs and hits, we will expect more and more of these to get done in upwards of 100 roofs.”

The city’s Downtown Programming and Events ARPA program has already successfully held multiple events, and O’Dell indicated that more events are planned for the “near future.”

While multiple ARPA programs have already been implemented or started throughout the city, O’Dell explained that multiple programs are still in development.

O’Dell told City Council members that both the New Business Development and Equipment and Machinery grant programs are still in the application phase, which began January 24 and will close on February 24. O’Dell added that he believes the programs will have a significant amount of engagement from the community.

The city is currently working with the Small Business Development Center and the Chamber of Commerce on the New Business Development grant.

“These two organizations are helping us spread the word as much as we can to all the businesses of Jamestown, and so far from what I’ve heard from them, we have received many calls and we are getting a lot of engagement, so that’s very good news,” O’Dell said.

O’Dell explained that the city has multiple criteria for implementing programs and awarding businesses through the ARPA economic development programs. Some of these criteria include equity, collaboration, sustainability, innovation, community benefit, impact of COVID-19, measurable impact and job creation.

“Increasing the workforce is of our biggest concern,” O’Dell said. “When we’re funding businesses, we’re examining how we can give them funding but after the funding has been used up that the businesses will be able to maintain success post funding.”

Following his review of the city’s ARPA program progress in 2022, O’Dell provided an outline for some of the Department of Development’s programs in 2023.

O’Dell explained that the department is doing its “due diligence” to plan the best way to establish the Business Incubator program in order to assist local businesses.

Regarding the Chadakoin River Basin Activation project, O’Dell said the city is planning on sending a request for proposal in the next month to move forward with the next step in the project. The city’s Zoning Code program will also release a request for proposal in the upcoming weeks.

O’Dell announced that the city is also currently negotiating a contract with the Land Bank, establishing the “scope of work” for the multi-year collaboration with the city, based on the $1 million ARPA funding allocation approved by the City Council.

According to O’Dell, the 19A Homeownership Program is nearing completion and the department is currently “finalizing” the policies for the program. O’Dell added that the Nonprofit Assistance Program application is also undergoing a review process prior to the department receiving applications from local nonprofit organizations.

O’Dell told the City Council that the city’s Business Expansion and Building Acquisition grant application has been closed and the department is awaiting final confirmation from the Jamestown Local Development Corporation.

Finally, O’Dell provided an update regarding the city’s Workforce Development Program.

“We are reviewing within our department and figuring out how we can best allocate these dollars and seeing what each program has to share,” he said. “For the Southern Tier Builders Exchange, they have proposed to us an accredited trade apprenticeship. Students at Jamestown High School could get into this program and they could learn trade skills and get an accredited degree there, which would help them get into the union or if they would like to pursue it further in college.”