The Temple Select Board is asking for input from town residents on the potential uses of the funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The Board put out a survey to town residents online, through emailed town alerts and also available on the town website.
Christine Robidoux, Chair of the Community Advisory Committee, put the survey together at the request of the Select Board.
“There were a lot of ideas floating around and I think this was a way to gauge the community’s priorities,” she said. The town gathered input from residents at the Harvest Festival, and some narrowing of the field of options for the use of the funds was necessary.
“The Select Board is looking for public input on how to best use these funds for the benefit of town residents,” the survey reads. It asks residents to respond with “I support” or “I do not support” to various ideas for the use of the funds that have been brought up at previous Select Board meetings.
These ideas are: purchasing or upgrading audio/visual equipment for the town to make town meetings accessible remotely; giving the tennis courts, basketball courts, and playground area an overhaul for safety and sustainability; replacing the town center’s septic and water systems; installing a well on the town common to provide water for tree and vegetation maintenance; and premium pay for essential workers, or up to $13 per hour more for healthcare, education, food production and critical service workers.
The survey also asks town residents to pick which of these ideas is would be most important to them, and has a space for further suggestions.
Select Board Chair Bill Ezell said that the survey will stay open at least until the next Board meeting, on Oct. 26. As to when a decision might be made based on the survey results, Ezell said that the Board is undecided on a timetable at the moment.
The survey provides a link and an explanation of ARPA for those looking for more information, and a space to provide contact information for those with more questions.
The survey is available online at templenh.org. here.