The City of Williamsport is finalizing its portion of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, which must be allocated by Dec. 31 and spent by the end of 2026.

The city was awarded $25.4 million in ARPA and the administration and City Council are near the deadline in which they must finalize the allocation of projects according to ARPA terms.

To do that, council held a special meeting on Thursday night, where members, excluding Councilwoman Bonnie Katz who was not present, discussed and voted on first reading on a transfer ordinance of ARPA funds to be finalized on a second reading of the ordinance at an upcoming meeting. These are taxpayer- supported federal funds that were awarded to municipalities to help them to recover from the various negative impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which included many businesses and industries having to lockdown over an extended period, layoff workers, along with downsizing and closures.

Mayor Derek Slaughter said the city ordinance largely involves the excess/ reallocation of the city final remaining ARPA funds.

They included the completing of the restoration of the bandshell in Brandon Park, sealing a leak at Logger’s Landing patio deck at Journey Bank Park at Historic Bowman Field, and cameras at Veterans Memorial Park.

Council President Adam Yoder asked the administration beforehand if there were any items for the city, at least on first reading, and the administration added the purchase of two trucks for the public works department, Slaughter said.

The large item in the transfer ordinance calls for funding an infrastructure project with an existing business, JPW Industrial Ovens. No figures on the reallocation of any of the listed items were discussed.

Don Lundy, JPW landowner, and

Mike Paternostro, JPW vice president, gave council some project background.

“As you know here in Williamsport we have little economic winds at our back in terms of major manufacturers,” Lundy said.

The plant power requirements are unique and to keep making products for its aerospace and military customers the upgrades of the infrastructure for power increase were needed and the ARPA funding, if approved on second reading, will be used for that purpose, they noted.

JPW continues to make ovens and furnaces of various sizes for customers, including SpaceX and military clients. The ovens vary in size from tabletop to those a tractor trailer could be driven into. The company is 21 years old and outgrew an operation in Trout Run. It specializes in temperature uniformity, curing, drying or moisture removal. The impasse on further growth has become its power infrastructure.

Paternostro said his goal is to remain in the location with the 45 to 50 employees and that with the ARPA investment the plant could add 15 to 20 more employees with the investment and be more efficient in about a year. Paternostro offered a tour of the company to Miele who said she felt it was positive about the investment in infrastructure- related needs to the industry producing these ovens and furnaces in Williamsport and Lycoming County and offering that unique employment opportunity.

The funding was otherwise going to be invested in a residential and commercial project in Old City section near Lycoming College that has stalled over several years and is expected to take another form, perhaps being announced in the coming months, according to Lycoming College officials.

Yoder and Councilwoman Liz Miele voted “no” on first reading of the transfer ordinance. Yoder noted when he asked Lundy if the ARPA reallocation was not used for JPW he said the company could go elsewhere. Yoder added that while that may be a possibility, as of Jan. 1 the city will not have that option regarding ARPA funding.

“We as a city really need to understand external resources whether it’s county, whether its state resources,” he said.

There is a second and final reading of the ordinance needed to lock in the ARPA allocation list before the end of the year deadline.