Dunkirk allocates more ARPA $

DUNKIRK — The city spent some of its remaining coronavirus relief funding.

It still has a bit more to take care of before the end of the year.

During a brief meeting Monday, Dunkirk City Council approved the purchase of new heating units for the city’s wastewater department using American Rescue Plan Act dollars.

Council members Dan Watson, Christy Curts, Randy Murphy and Donna Revolt, absent Jesse Bivens, unanimously approved the purchase of the electric heaters from Superior Enterprises of Fort Wayne. (Watson ran the meeting in the absence of Mayor Jack Robbins, who was not in attendance following the death of his father.) The cost came in a $12,985.

The council has spent the last several meetings working to identify needs and utilize the remaining federal funding to address them. It made the following allocations:

•Oct. 28 — $11,350 for a new mower for the parks department and $10,064.10 to install new playground equipment at Dunkirk City Park.

•Nov. 11 — $67,215 for Culy Contracting to install six new fire hydrants, $23,620.02 to purchase the hydrants, $24,213.50 for 13 new water meters, $5,777.57 for lab equipment for the water department, $16,660 for new LED light fixtures for the wastewater treatment plant, $2,626 for a new heating unit to be installed, $3,300 for repairs to an air-handling unit, $8,000 for new tables and chairs for the city building and $3,145.95 for signs and posts for the street department. (The new tables and chairs in the council room were in use Monday.)

•Nov. 25 — $51,424.24 for new emergency responder radios and $17,200 to install a new camera system for the police department.

Monday’s expenditure leaves the city with about $18,000 in American Rescue Plan Act dollars remaining to allocate by the end of the year. Funds must be spent by the end of 2026.

Clerk-treasurer Kara Lowe said after the meeting she is working on getting quotes for items for the city building. She said if she is not able to get those in by council’s Dec. 23 meeting there are other options for spending the remaining American Rescue Plan Act funding.

In other business, council approved payment of claims totaling $247,827.02.