ARPA federal recovery funds were allocated by the CityCommission to community projects, with a dedicated project manager in the FinanceDepartment — Sylvia Tarman, who appears in the minutes as ARPA Project Manager and later as CDBG Administrator.
The City maintains an ARPA page and a separate comments and questions page, and posted supporting documents as allocations were made.
An update on ARPA-funded community projects came to the Commission at WorkSession2026-03-03, including a presentation on the impact of ARPA funds awarded to Great Falls College MSU for career and technical education.
ARPA money appears in the record alongside, and is often confused with, CommunityDevelopmentBlockGrant awards. They are different programmes with different rules; the agenda items name which is which.
ARPA: https://greatfallsmt.gov/188/American-Rescue-Plan-Act-ARPA ARPA comments and questions: https://greatfallsmt.gov/271/American-Rescue-Plan-Act-ARPA---Comments