ANDERSON — Anderson Mayor Thomas Broderick Jr. outlined his proposal Tuesday for how the city might spend its $23.1 million in American Rescue Plan funds.
Broderick talked about his plan, which was presented Dec. 1 and includes $9 million for infrastructure improvements and $3.6 million for employee bonuses.
There was a good turnout of residents at the meeting. Many members of city unions voiced support for the proposed bonuses.
There will be a second meeting to get public input about Broderick’s proposal at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Anderson City Building auditorium.
The majority of Broderick’s two-hour presentation dealt with the proposal to spend $9 million on improvements to the city’s water department.
“This is an urgent need,” he said. “We need to increase capacity and assure water quality.”
Broderick said spending $9 million will hold down an increase in water rates.
He said the plan is to expand the Lafayette treatment plant and well field and to repair the distribution lines at a cost of $32 million.
Broderick said the remaining portion of the $32 million project would come from Tax Increment Financing funds with approval by the Anderson Redevelopment Commission.
He said the $9 million in federal funds would save water utility customers $10 per month.
There is a proposed three-year rate increase that would be phased in to a maximum increase of $10 per month.
“Without the $9 million, the rate increase would double,” Broderick said.
Neal McKee, superintendent of the water department, said the city has a capacity of 12.1 million gallons per day, and the average daily usage is 10.2 million gallons.
Local resident Wendi Carter-Hopkins said the city workers didn’t deserve a pandemic bonus of a maximum of $7,500.
“A lot of them did their job from home,” she said. “Put the money into the water department so the community can have clean water.”
Broderick said the meeting was to get input from the community.
“The community concerns are not being addressed,” Carter-Hopkins said.
Councilman Jon Bell said the city’s water department is losing 37% of capacity on a daily basis, and if water loss from leakage were reduced to 10%, there wouldn’t be a need to expand the Lafayette treatment plant.
“We asked for a comprehensive plan on what lines have to be replaced in 2016,” he said. “What are the critical lines?
“You’re asking for almost half of the ARP funds,” Bell said.
Local resident Mary Jo Lee, representing Senior Essential Connections, said senior citizens were negatively affected the most by the pandemic.
“We want to provide services to keep seniors safely in their homes,” she said.
Lee said the plan is to provide safety ramps, safety bars in bathrooms and an alert system along with internet access.
Lindsay Brown said the ARP funds were meant for all city residents.
“You’re giving money only to city employees,” he said of the proposed pandemic bonuses. “There were people who worked in grocery stores and convenience stores that won’t get a dollar.”
Brown said the City Council could reallocate funds already available to Anderson to provide city employees with a bonus.
Pete Bitar, a member of the Anderson Police Merit Commission, said the first responders should be compensated for the work they performed.
Broderick said the City Council will conduct special meetings to get citizen input on the proposal.
“Community and council members will be involved in overseeing the programs,” he said.
Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.
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