Residents Share Ideas for American Rescue Plan

Article by Greg Jordan, Bluefield Daily Telegraph | September 24, 2021

Skip Crane, left, of the Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Commission (BARC) was among the people sharing idea Thursday for spending $4.2 million in American Rescue Plan funding with Bluefield City Manager, right. The city is seeking input from citizens on how to use the federal money.

BLUEFIELD — Ideas ranging from road paving and sidewalk repair to creating new attractions for ATV tourists and preserving historic landmarks were shared Thursday as the City of Bluefield looks for ways to spend $4.2 million in American Rescue Plan funding.

Bluefield’s new city manager, retired Army Col. Cecil Marson, introduced himself to residents meeting outside of the Mount Zion Pentecostal Church on Park Street and asked for ideas about spending the city’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds.

“You have the American Rescue Plan Act,” he said. “This goes out to every city in the country and Bluefield got $4.2 million. We’ve got about four years to spend that money. Right now, we’ve gotten our first installment. It came a little before I got here. We’ve got $2.1 million in the bank and we’ve got another $2.1 million that will come in this coming summer.

The funding is tied to addressing problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can read the full article here: Bluefield Daily Telegraph