How should Lacey spend its share of American Rescue Plan money?
The city of Lacey will receive $11.45 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package that was approved by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden last month.
City Manager Scott Spence told Lacey City Council Thursday that the first allocation, which is about half the total, is expected to be in hand before May. The second allocation will come a year later and all of it has to be spent before Dec. 31, 2024, he said.
That’s enough time, Spence told the council, to make good decisions about how the money should be spent. Spence outlined options Thursday, but there was one topic that repeatedly bubbled to the surface during the council conversation: helping the homeless.
Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder referenced the need for supportive housing, while council member Malcolm Miller touched on homelessness as well, saying he has been contacted by residents concerned about the homeless living on public lands.
Spence said some of the money could be spent on hiring a homeless coordinator, or creating a civilian counterpart to the Lacey Police Department’s community resource unit, which works with the homeless.
The money also could be spent on economic development, infrastructure, technology, tourism and in response to COVID-19, Spence said. Other ideas: spend some of it on the Lacey Food Bank, or small businesses, including those owned by women and minorities, he said.
Ryder urged the council to hold off on discussing the specifics until the council can have a regional discussion, perhaps maximizing the spending by partnering with other jurisdictions or agencies.
“Let’s make an investment we can all be proud of going forward,” Ryder said.
Although council member Lenny Greenstein agreed, he also said it was equally important that the council talk about where it stands on the money.
“We have to have a council conversation,” he said.
Lacey City Council is set to meet with the Thurston Board of County Commissioners next week. The county’s share of the American Rescue Plan is $56 million. The Lacey council also will dive into the details of the American Rescue Plan money during its annual retreat on April 23.
This story was originally published April 2, 2021 at 5:45 AM.
