American Rescue Plan

CONCLUSIONS & NEXT STEPS

What We Learned

Conclusions & Next Steps

Can we invest in broadband infrastructure to improve access, affordability, choice, and speed?

Through this process, the Town has learned a great deal about the community’s priorities and that knowledge has significantly influenced the final list of projects the Town has decided to fund with its $13.3 million ARPA allocation. Over 1,500 surveys were completed by the community in addition to extensive staff, community partner, and Town Council involvement to narrow down 57 proposed projects to the final eleven that will receive ARPA funding. Many of the projects chosen for funding are not traditionally funded by local governments including strengthening our childcare workforce, supporting food security programs, creating new community gardens, and making a significant investment in affordable housing opportunities for Blacksburg’s workforce. Moving forward, the Town will begin to implement these eleven projects, which will be completed over the next four years. This will include working with our community partners to increase capacity for services, procuring contractors to design and build several of the construction projects, providing regular project updates to the community on how things are progressing, and offering opportunities for further input and engagement.

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