OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Portland Town Board member Gary Miller smiles after suggesting ARPA funds be used to meet some of the town’s needs.

PORTLAND — What can ARPA money do for you? For the Town of Portland, it can do quite a bit.

At a recent Portland Town Board meeting, the question of what American Rescue Plan Act funds can be applied to was playfully tossed around throughout the night’s agenda.Town Board member Gary Miller raised the concern that New York State could pull back some of the ARPA funding if it is not used soon. “I suggest we spend this money,” Miller said.

Town Supervisor Rich Lewis stated he did not believe the state can take back the funds, especially if they have already been allocated. However, the funds do expire, and Portland decided it wasn’t going to wait around while things in the town needed fixing.

Miller first suggested purchasing a backup generator for the Town Hall, which had been discussed at previous meetings. The Town Board approved a request for proposals on a generator, which will likely be purchased with ARPA funds.

Lewis then later suggested using ARPA funds to clear the land recently purchased by the Town of Portland behind the Town Hall building. By clearing the land and creating an open field, the area could be used as an emergency landing zone for helicopters in case of an emergency. The town would also have the ability to develop the land for other uses if it sees fit. The Town Board also approved a request for proposals to clear the land.

Throughout the rest of the meeting, Miller playfully celebrated whenever it was determined ARPA funds could be utilized for town purchases.

The Town Board approved the purchase of security cameras near the dog kennel, the Highway Department building, and the Portland Historical Museum, from DFT Communications for $3,300 of ARPA funds.

Also with ARPA funds, the town purchased a copier machine through Axiom Office Imaging for $3,250 and approved revamping the town’s official website by Order Setups, hosted through Squarespace, for $1,100 initially, plus $150 per month to maintain. Both purchases were highly recommended by Town Board member Tammy Thompson.

The Town Board also scheduled public hearings on the Firefighter Tax Exemption local law and the Battery Storage local law at the start of the next regularly scheduled Town Board meeting, July 12 at 6 p.m.