ROCKLAND — Thomaston wants money for its sewer system; Appleton, for its fire water treatment and broadband. Washington and Cushing want money for food pantries, as well as broadband and a town electric sign. Hurricane Island Center for Science requests funds for aquaculture education and Sexual Assault Assault Services wants money for staffing. The list is long in Knox County for funding requests made to Knox County Commissioners for the county’s $7.7 million ARPA pot, its municipalities and nonprofits competing with each other. In total the county received more than $8.5 million in requests.

For the first time since last November, the Knox County Commissioners and the county’s Budget Committee will again tackle how to distribute $7.7 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds designated to Knox County. The meeting will take place Jan. 20 via Zoom.

Thursday – January 20, 2022 – 5 p.m.

Due to the prevalence of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in Knox County and the inherent risk to the health and safety of our employees and the public from it, the Chairs of the Knox County Commissioners and the Knox County Budget Committee determine there is an emergency situation that requires the Knox County Commission and Knox County Budget Committee to hold its public meetings remotely via Zoom video conference on an ongoing basis until further notice, as allowed under the Knox County Commission and Knox County Budget Committee Remote Participation Policies and 1 M.R.S. Section 403-B.

Click on link below to join ZOOM Meeting: (you can speak) https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82583783769

Click on Town Hall Streams link: (view meeting only) https://townhallstreams.com/stream.php?location_id=50&id=43016

1. Airport CARES ACT & AIP Projects
2. ARPA Projects - Municipalities & Non-Profits

County disbursement of the ARPA funds has been a source of controversy and allocations as to how the funds were to be expended. Knox County has received $3.5 million of an allocated $7.7 million and the money must be allocated by Dec. 31, 2024.  

Commissioners have spent $411,000 of the ARPA funds as emergency retention funds for county employees to keep them on the job. Those payments will run through Dec. 31, 2021.  

In early November, letter stated that the commission will not allocate or expend any of the remaining ARPA funds. This will be handled as part of the normal budget process through the Knox County Budget Committee for its discussion and approval.  

The following is the list of requests:

Town of Thomaston
Received already from federal government $289,879.91 
EMS asking for $3,995 for a motorized stair chair
 $350,000 for sewer replacement

Town of Appleton
$144,000 already received
Requests $11,000 for COVID-19 related changes to the town office protection measures
$2,290 for fire department water treatment
$228,736 for broadband for underserved roads in Appleton serviced by Consolidated Communications 

Town of Rockport
$177,500 already received
Requests $750,000 for 25 percent toward $3 million Broadband Pathway Project

Town of Owls Head
Requests $346,889 for Owls Head Cottage Avenue Sewage System Upgrade and Phase One of Broadband Enhancement project

Knox County Homeless Coalition
Requests $4.1 million to address health disparities for low income and homeless populations in Knox County
Already has other funds for this project, including: 
$500,000 main state housing
$189,000 federal home loan bank
$100,000 KCHC administrative support
$136,000 ICDC annunciated contrbituon

For:

Madelyn Lane (Rockport housing)
$1.2 million for supportive housing, 30 units plus $1.5 million phase two, implementation of service delivery

Talbot Ave., Rockland
 $320,000, small footprint housing, transitional supportive rental housing and workfcoese housing

$180,000, Philbrick Commons, Phase II, single family home subdivision with workforce housing

$400,000, Isle au Haut Preservation, workforce housing

Knox County Dedicated Reentry
$500,000

Mid Coast Health Net, dba KnoxClinic
Request for $750,000 to $1.2 million
Collaborative effort for renovations and health care related expenditures and to expand services for medical, dental and mental health

Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership
Requests $265,865 
Had received $25,000 from National Science Foundation in 20201 and received a federal PPP grant
To be used for supporting growth of its aquaculture education and training programs and assoctioned 

St. George Volunteer Firefighters Ambulance
Received federal grants for barn building and PPP loans
Requests $95,007.66 to retain, attract employees and improves the association

Sexual Assault Assault Services of Midcoast Maine
Requests $160,000 ($80,000 in 2021 and $80,000 in 2022
Money would be used to support staffing, adding part time positions, maintaining competitive salaries. Investing in skill development, improving IT support and equipment

MCH, Inc.
requests $60,000
For food because it has a group purchasing to help reduce costs but these costs have risen
Salaries of staff
Containers 

Come Spring Food Pantry
Requests $100,000 for its Union facility to create a sustainable food hub to provide nutritional, equitable access to all, food assistance and nutrition

Volunteers of North New England
Requests $450,000 for salaries and benefits for CRC, for CRC training, travel costs for staff
Community resource coordinators

St. George
Community Development Corporation
Requests: 
$40,000 for Mental health services 
$45,000 for broadband last mile
$10,000 housing support
$20,000 for household assistance food programs
$5,000 rent assistant and mortgage assistance

Town of South Thomaston
Already received $170,453.64
Requests $17,267 for Lucas Device for CPR

Town of Washington
Requests $36,881 for:
Garage roof insualtion, $14,831
Rebuild water pump in generator, $1,023
Food pantry, $5,000
Telephone and internet for public works garage, $1,127
Upgrade town website, $4,900
Partner with Axion Technologies, $10,000 for broadband fiber to the home project throughout Washington.

Town of Cushing
already received $157,000
Requests TBD after receiving Axion feasibility study for installation of fiber
Town electronic communication sign, $32,000 to allow to communication quickly with town citizens about changes to mask requirements, vaccination sites
$400,000 for public access to the ocean shoreline

Town of North Haven
Already received $37,491
Requests $75,000 for municipal planner, three-year part-time position

City of Rockland
Already received $756,737
Requests $110,000 for Pen Bay Acres storm water project
$53,000 green infrasture, storm water
$55,000 Wilson Memorial Park storm in water
$60,000 Center Street storm waters separation

Town of Hope
Already received $178,173
Requests $50,000 salt, sand, shed roof and ventilation

Town of Union
Already received $238,000
Requests
Ambulance, $275,000
Broadband connections, $32,000, last mile
Food Pantry, $15,000
Premium pay, $13,000 — for every town employee worked through the pandemic deserves to be recognized

Isle au Haut
Requests $940,000
For
$175,000 housing
$50,000 solid waste disposal
$215,000 broadband
$500,000 for par ing

Town of Vinalhaven
Already received $112,359.70
Requests
$250,000 for sustaining sewer infrastructure
$150,000 for sewer extension
$350,000 for workforce housing
$1 million for county flood map review