El Paso County to use ARPA funds on storm, water, and road infrastructure

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., (KRDO) -- In a meeting, the El Paso County Board of commissioners explained how the county is spending its allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act.

The El Paso County Board of Commissioners wants to be transparent about the allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act Funds, saying $25 million will go to surface and stormwater infrastructure.

El Paso County ranks second in receiving the most funds in the state, with nearly $140 million in funds. County Commissioner for District 4 Longinos Gonzalez says they are planning to use the leftover funds on water, storm, and road infrastructure.

"We want to make sure we are utilizing these dollars effectively for our community, in addition to the ways we have done that in the last couple of years," said Gonzalez.

Pothole repair and pavement resurfacing are projects the roads constantly need. This is why the city plans to use $10 million for roads.

This comes after the U.S. Treasury Department released the final rule for the state and local recovery funds in January allowing counties to use those dollars for the provision of government services.

"Once they made the rule change we could finally allocate some dollars to roads and the maximum amount we could authorize was ten million and so that is why we have always prioritized infrastructure, roads, and public safety…But this was our first opportunity to use those dollars for roads," added Gonzalez.

As for stormwater infrastructure, the El Paso County Department of Public Works has identified seven projects which amount to $10 million, an additional $5 million will be allocated for future projects.

The timelines for these projects are between 18 and 33 months.

The county is also asking the community to submit proposals for an additional $20 million in water infrastructure grants.

The county will have until the end of 2024 to use the funds.