On Tuesday, January 16, during a Commission meeting, Commissioners approved appropriating $4,363,550 of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds towards a variety of projects. The funding would go towards authorized projects completed by Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia, Macon-Bibb County, Middle Georgia Regional Library, Keryx Ministries, Inc., and for other authorized expenditures.
Up to $1,000,000 would go towards Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia to be used to fund the establishment of the One Safe Place Macon Family Justice Center. One Safe Place Macon will be one of Georgia’s first Family Justice Center. The Center will serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, human trafficking, and elder independent adult abuse with multiple agencies under the same roof.
“One place where our victims and families can go. One door they need to walk through where they will have a navigator to walk by them with their journey to help prioritize the services they need,” said One Safe Place Macon Site Coordinator Sarah Schanck. “We will 16 agencies immediately under one roof who will be immediately responsive as well as additional agencies committed to responding to that building should their services be needed.”
$2,000,000 will go towards upgrading sporting equipment at the Macon Centreplex and Carolyn Crayton Park which will help in sports tourism.
“We have more than just pickleball in Macon. We are really needing to fill the gap on things like basketball, AAU, Georgia High School Association in basketball, volleyball, cheerleading,” said Mayor Lester Miller. “To do that at the Centreplex, you’re going to have to have sports courts and other types of equipment to invest there.”
Other money allocated would be:
- $500,000 to the Middle Georgia Regional Library for the establishment of a new library branch;
- $763,550 to Keryx Ministries, Inc. as a match for federal funding for the Unionville Clinic a free medical clinic in the Unionville neighborhood;
- $100,000 to fund administrative expenses, including technology and personnel costs, associated with the utilization of such funds