NEWS

‘We should start somewhere’

Resolution to use ARPA funds for Budlong Pool passes council

By EMMA BARTLETT
Posted 8/2/22

Where to find the money to repair Budlong Pool has been a topic of discussion for the past several months after it was determined the pool would not open this year due to safety concerns. …

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NEWS

‘We should start somewhere’

Resolution to use ARPA funds for Budlong Pool passes council

Posted

Where to find the money to repair Budlong Pool has been a topic of discussion for the past several months after it was determined the pool would not open this year due to safety concerns. Councilwoman Aniece Germain put forth a resolution on July 25 to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to repair the facility. Council members unanimously approved the resolution, and Germain now plans to meet with the administration to discuss the best course of action.

“This resolution is a cry out from the residents,” said Germain, at the finance meeting on July 18 where the resolution was first introduced. “The pool is not only to allow people to cool off, it’s a place to help socialize and to get children out of their home and play.”

Germain said a lot of children in Cranston do not have the luxuries to go to beaches or have a pool in their backyard.

“With increasing temps in summer, it’s critically important that we take measures to offer residents places to cool off,” said Councilman John Donegan, at the July 18 meeting.

Chief of Staff Anthony Moretti said the administration suggested the use of the ARPA funds for the pool several months ago and was glad to see the council followed up on the idea. He added that the administration is happy to meet with Germain and that they will be contacting the proper authorities to determine if ARPA funds can be used for the Budlong Pool project.

The administration initially allocated $1.5 million to the Budlong Pool in the FY 2023 budget, however, the process of adding the line item was done incorrectly – resulting in its removal from the capital budget. In the meantime, the city applied for $2.8 million in grant funding in hopes of obtaining federal money for the pool. Moretti said Cranston received word from Senator Jack Reed that the grant passed through one of the Senate committees and has now gone to the Senate’s appropriations committee. He said there are a couple more steps required, but the request has past initial approval.

Budlong Pool has been closed for the past two years due to the pandemic, and Germain said when the pool did not open for the third year because of structural issues, she received a lot of emails and complaints from residents.

Germain said she is against tearing down the facility, saying that it has potential. She compared the pool to a foreclosed house, where individuals are able to fix it to make it operational again. She advocates for using $2 million from ARPA to fix the pool. Should the city receive the $2.8 million in federal funding, she’d like to see the money go toward recreational activities at the Budlong facility; this includes resurfacing the basketball court and adding a fitness space for older people and individuals who may not be able to afford a gym membership. Overall, this would all be part of a greater discussion on what is best for the city’s residents.

The city’s residents have had their voices heard on how the city should use the ARPA funds, including two public workshops, a survey created by Councilwomen Lammis Vargas and Nicole Renzulli created and administered by the Cranston Public Library and a poll conducted by EMC Research Inc.

The survey created by Vargas and Renzulli had advocates for Budlong Pool. Of the survey’s 1241 respondents, 337 individuals gave specific ideas for ARPA funds usages; the top responses concerned Parks & Recreation/Sports/Open Spaces. Of those, there were 80 responses to improving public spaces including improving parks and sports fields, better public access to fields and more parks and open spaces. The top themes were an indoor sports and recreation center/sports complex (25 responses), purchasing land for open spaces (seven responses) and reopening the Budlong Pool (eight responses).

At July’s finance meeting, council members added to Germain’s idea.

Councilman Matt Reilly suggested not only bringing the pool back, but making it a bigger destination for residents. He said over the last 10 years, the pool hasn’t received the traffic like it used to, but believes that can be changed.

Renzulli suggested that outside of this resolution, establish a committee or board to help the recreation department. She said without an aquatics director, the pool could be difficult to manage properly.

Councilwoman Jessica Marino said the council needs to know what it costs to get the pool operational and said the feasibility report that was conducted earlier in the year did not answer that question.

Councilman Richard Campopiano said they need to have some type of number.

“We don’t know if we’re demolishing the pool, fixing the pool … we don’t know where this is going,” said Campopiano.

“We have to start somewhere,” Germain said.

ARPA, Budlong pool

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