City Commissioners finalized agreements with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation during their July 18 meeting for American Rescue Plan Act funds for the city’s lift station project and reimbursements for other public works improvements.

The city was allocated about $8.4 million of minimum allocation grants and another $2 million of competitive grants through the state’s ARPA funds.

Downtown stormwater project begins May 8

The city allocated some of those funds already as matching funds for competitive grants awarded to two current projects.

Those projects include the Central Avenue-3rd Street drainage project is using competitive and minimum allocation grants and Lift Station No. 1 project.

City Commission approves contract process for lift station project

Staff is funding portions of those projects with the state ARPA funds to free up other funds for other infrastructure projects, according to city staff.

City Commission to consider ARPA fund agreement for downtown drainage project

On July 18, commissioners approved the use of the remaining state ARPA funds as reimbursement for water and sewer infrastructure expenses incurred between March 3, 2021 and June 30, 2022 over 14 projects:

• sewer system improvements: $ 444,528
• stormwater system improvements: $ 784,932
• wastewater treatment plant improvements: $ 33,746
• water mains system improvements: $ 1,171,401
• water treatment plant improvements: $ 277,576

City receives $8.4 million in state ARPA funds

The reimbursements will go to the water, sewer and stormwater funds to finance current and future projects, according to city staff.