Haverhill has spent or allocated all of its approximately $37.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money it was awarded.
As the deadline to commit the federal funds to eligible projects, Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett gave city councilors Tuesday an update on the city’s projects to date. She explained one area of focus concerns residents’ mental health.
“We provided social services and community support through our youth activity and mental health programs. Our senior programs for transportation, fitness, nutrition and vaccinations. We hired a police department behavioral support person for residents in mental health crisis,” she said.
The mayor went on to say, the city has “spread that money out through pretty much every department in the city.” She cited several examples, such as personal protective equipment, custodial supplies, COVID-19 vaccines and tests and additional staffing in the Public Health Department as early purchases.
The city has bought several vehicles for the fire and police departments as well as inspectional services, along with the replacement of two Department of Public Works trucks and snow removal and excavation machines among others.
The grant was also used to upgrade HVAC systems within city schools, repave Haverhill High School’s parking lot and supplement an earlier city budget.
As WHAV reported, funding was also used to provide $5,000 grants to residents impacted by flooding in August 2023.
City officials also allocated money to improve city greenspace such as Union Park, McNamara Park, Plug Pond, Round Pond and Concord Street; build tennis courts at Winnekenni Park and improve Riverside Park.
Additionally, the city is renovating the City Clerk’s office, updated the electrical and roofing at City Hall and purchased voting tabulators and cameras for election security.
“We have a plan if there are tailings and things don’t quite add up and cost as much as we budgeted. We have a plan that we will shift any monies that don’t quite get spent in the columns that they’re assigned to right now they will be shifted to either paving or to those pump stations,” she said. “There’s no intention in sending any money back. We need it, we need to use it.”
All American Rescue Plan Act money must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026 to comply with the Treasury Department’s final rule.