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Wilmington and New Hanover County will soon be flush with cash from the American Rescue Plan, amounting to nearly $26 million for the city and $45 million for the county. But while the first distributions should arrive on May 11, the federal government has yet to provide specific rules and regulations for spending.
Still, City of Wilmington staff outlined some options for the council at the agenda review meeting Monday morning, based on the four categories of eligible fund use:
Coronavirus Response & Relief
Replacement Revenue
Investments in Water, Sewer and Broadband Infrastructure
Staff suggestions included support for small businesses impacted by COVID, infrastructure spending, workforce housing, non-profit assistance, and providing for city employee sick leave due to coronavirus.
The Wilmington Sharks baseball team is requesting the opportunity to finance enhancements to Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium in lieu of repaying debt for use of the facility. (Port City Daily photo/Alexandria Sands)
Update Wednesday, 9 a.m.: The Wilmington City Council unanimously approved the Sharks’ request to put $15,000 toward improvements to Buck Hardee Field in lieu of making missed payments. City staff proposed that future payments are due closer to baseball season, rather than eight to nine months after it has ended. Staff confirmed there was an error in the reservation system, and Sharks president Matt Perry apologized for “not being more proactive” when the bill didn’t arrive.
But amid the state s funding issues, Councilman Neil Anderson said the council will have to prioritize projects and find alternative sources of funding for needed improvements, pointing to the Southwest end of Independence Boulevard as an area in need of attention. If the state doesn t have the funds, we could either sit back and watch things get worse or we can try to be proactive, Anderson said.
The Wilmington area s population is expected to grow nearly 90% by 2040, according to New Hanover County s comprehensive plan. That growth will bring challenges not only for roadways, but for housing as well.
Anderson said a major step in addressing the city s needs will be the completion of its updated land development code. The code, which aims to accommodate the region s projected population growth, hasn t undergone a full update in 30 years or more.