ORANGE PARK – The town has decisions to make with its more than $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, but it developed a plan for allocating the money at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

The town is set to receive $4,419,533 in federal disaster relief funds for a variety of areas such as COVID-related pay, infrastructure or to offset town revenues impacted by the pandemic. The town has until Dec. 31, 2024, to obligate the funds and a Dec. 31, 2026 deadline to spend it.

Council members gave a shortlist of priority items including the following: rental and utility assistance for residents, improvements at T.C. Miller Park & Community Center, stormwater fixes, food assistance and parking lot improvements for nonprofit Clothes Closet, COVID pay for employees and broadband and Orange Park Town Hall improvements.

Town Manager Sarah Campbell will present costs of the items at a future meeting, where council members can formally approve where the $4.4 million goes.

Council member Alan Watt referred to ARPA as a separate Capital Improvement Plan with strict requirements. Mayor Randy Anderson focused on assistance to Clothes Closet and to residents. He said the town didn’t have to spend the money all at once, but he didn’t want it sitting around too long.

“I think we need to look at how we can help our residents,” Anderson said.

The town recently conducted a survey that garnered 137 responses. Infrastructure improvements received the most favorable responses, but residents also approved of assistance for those in need, pay for essential workers, public health needs and funds to offset negative economic impacts.

Councilman John Hauber said the town has been playing catchup for years on stormwater infrastructure. He supported improvements to T.C. Miller Park & Community Center and allocated money toward the public safety fields.

“There are some things our fire and police [departments] definitely need,” Hauber said. “It’s more to reduce liability on the town.”

Vice-mayor Eddie Henley said the area has poverty that must be addressed. He said some homes have significant decay and he didn’t know if they had utilities.

“We don’t have to go very far to get to extreme poverty,” Henley said.