CLAREMONT — The City Council raised no objections to recommendations from City Manager Yoshi Manale on how to spend nearly $1.35 million the city has received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
At Wednesday’s council meeting, Manale presented options ranging from $321,000 for heating and ventilation work at the Claremont Opera House to $5,000 for upgrades to the railings in the opera house to improve safety and meet building code.
Also on the list is $300,000 for the redesign and construction of the tennis courts at Monadnock Park, which will include striping so that four of the five courts can be used for pickleball, $64,000 for the design and construction of a dog park and $10,000 for the design of a future splash park, which carries an estimated cost of $250,000. A splash park has been discussed since the city closed and dismantled the outdoor pool several years ago. A location for the park has not been determined.
Manale is also recommending $50,000 be added to the sidewalk replacement line item in the Department of Public Works budget and $200,000 for a revolving loan fund for downtown small business microloans.
Administered through the existing loan program of the Claremont Development Authority, the $200,000 for microloans would aim to help existing businesses in the downtown Tax Increment Finance district expand and encourage new businesses to open.
“The goal is to provide funds that might otherwise be difficult to obtain with traditional loan programs,” Manale said in his report to the council.
Manale said Thursday that before seeking bids for any of the work, he wanted to inform councilors of the options he was considering and get their feedback.
“I want to make sure I am going in the right direction,” Manale said.
A large portion of the money will be spent on upgrades and other improvements at city hall and the opera house. The proposal from Manale includes $100,000 for an exterior ramp to be in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act and $17,000 to improve accessibility at the front and side entrances. Carpeting in the atrium by central collections will be replaced for $20,000, and $220,000 is allocated to complete roof repairs on the building.
Manale said some of the work is eligible for federal reimbursements and tax credit, which could be used for other projects, and the school district might contribute to some of the cost of the tennis courts as the high school tennis team uses them.
Manale told the council he came up with the list of proposed expenditures after reviewing the 2023 Capital Improvement Plan, past council directives and the city’s 2017 strategic plan.
Under the U.S. Treasury guidelines, the money cannot be used to reduce the tax rate nor make debt service payments.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
