THE ADVOCATE - A HOUSEHOLD WORD IN REVERE FOR 30 YEARS! Vol.30, No.14 -FREECity,state officials concerned over Beach Boulevard parking meters DCR: Parking meter payments will take effect on May 1 By Th e Advocate T his summer, beachgoers heading to America’s “First Public Beach” should expect to pay to park as the state Dept. of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) has announced the installation of parking meters on Revere Beach Boulevard. www.advocatenews.net Free Every Friday 781-286-8500 Friday, April 9, 2021 Revere Celebrates Autism Awareness Mayor Brian Arrigo, Rick Freni and Rick Freni, Jr. of the Little Ricky Foundation for Autism, along with city offi cials stood behind an Autism Awareness Love structure for the month of April in front of City Hall last Friday morning. (Courtesy photo, Jackie McLaughlin) Mayor provides outline of American Rescue Act spending By Adam Swift W ith the city due to receive more than $30 million as part of the American Rescue Act to aid in recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Brian Arrigo has said he will be working with the City Council, city leaders and the community to make sure that money is put to the best use as allowed under the law. Appearing before the City PARK & PAY: One of the many parking meters being installed along Revere Beach Boulevard this week. (Advocate photo) PARKING | SEE Page 15 Council on Monday night, Arrigo said the overarching goal for the use of the funds is to make short-term investments with long-term benefi ts. “We want to make sure there is a signifi cant investment in urgent health and economic needs,” said the mayor. Councillor-at-Large Gerry Visconti initially presented a motion on Monday asking Arrigo to appear before the council’s Ways and Means Subcommittee in two weeks to discuss how the City of Revere plans to allocate and spend the American Rescue Act funds. “I’m excited about the opportunity these funds will be able to provide our community, and it’s not often that we get an infl ux of cash of this amount,” said Visconti. “As a growing community and a diverse community, I’m sure the administration is going to use these funds and focus on helping our residents in the best way possible. This motion is not to scrutinize the administration on how the money is going to be spent … but it’s how we can work together to make sure the highest level needs are being met.” Arrigo went Visconti one better by appearing before the council on Monday night giving a brief overview of how the funds can be used under the law and stating he would be communicating with the council and others about how to best use the dollars. “I appreciate everyone’s confi dence in our ability that this process of receiving and getting this money out to the public is done in a transparent way and a collaborative fashion,” said Arrigo. “It’s always the way we want to operate, and the plans we will have regarding these dollars will be no diff erent than how we have done everything in this offi ce.” The mayor said the city will have until the end of 2024 to spend the slightly over $30 million it is slated to get as part of the American Rescue Act. Arrigo said the city will likely get the funds in three or four installments, with the fi rst installment likely to come in the next month or two. There are four main categories for the use of the funds, according to the mayor, who added that the city is waiting for additional guidelines and regulations on how exactly the money can be spent. The fi rst category for use is related to responding to the ongoing public health crisis and its economic impact, including assistance to households, small businesses and businesses impacted by the pandemic, such as tourism, travel and hospitality. A second category is premium pay to eligible employees who perform essential work. “That is determined by the chief executive and is related to the critical nature of the work to protect the health and well-being of the residents, and that is capped at $13 per hour of premium pay,” said Arrigo. The third category revolves around replacing municipal revenue lost due to the pandemic. “This is a really important [category]. By replacing revenue we can use those dollars to do other things,” said Arrigo. The fi nal category for use of the funds includes investments in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure. As Arrigo works with the council and others, he said, there are several core values of BRIAN ARRIGO Mayor a basic framework of how the money can best be spent. He said those values include leveraging the American Rescue Act money with other federal aid and potential revenue sources so Revere can get the most bang for its buck. “We also want to make sure that we are governing well,” said Arrigo. “The transparency with which we receive and spend this money is going to go a long way as far as building trust in the community and making sure we are providing for all of our residents.” The use of the money will be an ongoing conversation with the city council and residents to make an impact on the quality of life of the residents, said Arrigo. “I’m really grateful for the transparency and the cooperation in this matter, and in all matters,” said Council President Anthony Zambuto. “We’ve been communicating very well, and this is just a continuation of that.”
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