ARPA Public Health Support for Pandemic Response 

Remote Workforce Software Upgrade  

This program expands the ability for City of Lowell employees to securely access city data while working remotely, or in the field. This ability will allow departments to more effectively deliver services to the public, during a future pandemic or other unforeseen event, while minimizing delays in reporting and recording data into our municipal systems. At a cost of roughly $130 per employee, this project greatly improves employee productivity, while also providing staff to work remotely when necessary. 

Rodent Mitigation Services Contract  

The City of Lowell hired an outside contractor to address rodent issues which arose as a direct result of business (restaurant) closure during the pandemic. A significant uptick in rats was communicated to the City Council at several public meetings. The current resources in the Inspectional Services Division were insufficient to address this public health issue and outside expertise was required. The purpose of this program is to eradicate the significant uptick in the rodent population in the residential neighborhoods of Lowell that were near restaurants which closed due to the pandemic. The 3-year contracted program will run from July 2022 - June 2025. 

Antigen Test for Public Distribution  

The City purchased 30,000+ antigen tests in February 2022, for distribution to the general public, and assist with mitigation efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 

LPD Patrol Vehicle Purchase

The Lowell Police Department is requesting the use of ARPA funding to purchase four new cruisers equipped accordingly (e.g., radio for cruiser) The Lowell Police Department has an aging fleet of service "Frontline Service Vehicles", most of which are 9+ years old, and reaching the end of their useful life. The frontline vehicles within the Lowell Police Department are necessary to carry out the mission and vision of the department, being used proactively as a crime deterrent, but also to meet residents and visitors of the city where they are, and to respond to emergency incidents in a timely manner. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an overall increase in crime across the country. Lowell was no different much of Lowell resides within Qualified Census Tracts, which were disproportionally impacted by the effects of the pandemic, with many of our frontline vehicles being routinely taken out of service for repairs or extended maintenance, a significant strain is continually placed on the department without reliable frontline cruisers, the ability for the Lowell Police to respond to emergencies, or patrol area neighborhoods effectively within the City, is greatly diminished, and reduces the effectiveness of the department’s public safety mission. The addition of these four new vehicles will have a substantial impact on the mission of Lowell Police by providing a more reliable fleet, which in turn allows the department to be more responsive to the needs of the 115,000 residents within the Lowell community 

Sanitary Code Enforcement Officer Wages & Benefits 

The City of Lowell hired an additional Sanitary Code Enforcement Officer (March 2022) to assist with mitigation efforts related to the increase in rodent-related issues arising as a direct result of business (restaurant) closures during the pandemic. A significant increase in rat sightings was communicated to several City Council members, and during council meetings, and staffing levels within Inspectional Services were insufficient to appropriately address the issue, requiring this additional position to be filled.  

The purpose of this program is to eradicate the significant uptick in the rodent population in the residential neighborhoods of Lowell that were near restaurants which closed due to the pandemic. 

The City has been tracking rat infestations. Using this data, we are working to target the hot spots where rodent complaints are most prevalent. The new Sanitary Code Inspector will address these types of issues arising from pandemic changes, both in amounts and locations of rodent infestations. 

Mobile Surveillance Camera System 

Mobile surveillance equipment that can be used at large-scale festivals and gatherings to monitor crowd safety or deployed to specific areas within the city that experience an uptick in violent crime. Gun violence across the United States has increased at large scale events having the ability to deploy these systems to monitor the events has been very beneficial, Not only can they be used for events, we also utilize the systems in violent crime hot spots. 

In the wake of a recent Downtown shooting, an executive from one of the businesses in the impacted area expressed concern for his employee's safety. The LPD was able to immediately set up one of the systems to help address public safety concerns. There have not been any shootings in the impacted area since the system was deployed and has been utilized in several arrests as well. 

Health Record Management Software Upgrade 

The project will provide School Nursing staff with a HIPAA Compliance, secure, and cloud-based software solution for managing student health care records. The legacy health records system currently used by the school nursing staff does not provide the portability or flexibility that are essential to best meet the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, nor any future public health emergency. Untethering nurses from a fixed desktop solution allows them the mobility that is essential to best meet the needs of students anywhere, within the 25+ school campuses across the City. 

By upgrading the existing health record solution, and layering in COVID Screening Events, COVID Case Management, and Contact Tracing under a single umbrella, we are confident that school nursing staff will be able to best meet the needs of the children that are entrusted to our care, in Massachusetts’ 6th largest school district. 

LPD - Emergency Response Radio System Purchase  

This purchase is for the acquisition of new 'Tac 2' and APX-800 Emergency radio system. Lowell Police does not currently have updated emergency radio systems that would allow officers performing special details (without access a patrol vehicle), to be able to be made aware of, or respond to critical events or emergency situations. The inability to access these emergency channels, poses a potential risk to these officers, but may also reduce response times when a coordinated emergency response is required between the Police department and the Fire department.

Air Purifier Filter Replacement Project 

Replace all of the filters in the air purification equipment located within all City buildings. The installation of air purification equipment was part of the City’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy when municipal buildings were re-opened to the public. The units require periodic filter replacement as part of routine maintenance so they can continue to function as intended. 

Covid Mitigation Efforts During 2021 Municipal Election Cycle

For the 2021 municipal election cycle in Lowell, The State of Massachusetts, along with the City's Elections Office, took several steps to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus during the election. For ease of reporting, three (3) election related expenses were combined into a single expenditure totaling $52,299. 1) DS Graphics - $19,850. Due to the ongoing pandemic, The State of Massachusetts extended the law permitting voters to vote-by-mail for the 2021 election cycle. The State contracted with DS Graphics to print & mail new instructions/guidance to the entire Commonwealth. Lowell Elections Office was billed directly by DS Graphics for their portion of this project. 2) Election Data & Statistics - $10,238 With the 2020 Census delayed due to the pandemic, the City's Elections Office hired an elections administration expert (Election Data & Statistics) to assist with creating allowable polling locations in split districts, for the 2021 municipal elections. 3) Owl Stamp - $22,211 Lowell Elections Office is required by law to notify residents when their polling locations have been changed. The City contracted this effort out to Owl Stamp in preparation for the 2021 municipal elections. 

Office of Homelessness Initiatives  

The City has created the Office of Homelessness Initiatives to help coordinate efforts on a Federal, State, and Local level to provide outreach and services to the City of Lowell's unhoused individuals and families. 

Emergency Shelter Operational Costs  

The shelter available to anyone who needed a meal and a warm place to stay during these weather-related events. The costs incurred were primarily overtime for staff that stayed on-site to attend to visitors, emergency personnel that transported visitors to the shelter, and ancillary food costs required to feed the visitors during their time at the shelter and comfortable place to stay, indoors, during periods of extreme cold and/or periods of severe winter weather during the 2023 winter season. 

Free Covid-19 Vaccine Program  

The program will allow the Lowell Health Department to have an inventory of COVID vaccines that would be available to individuals who do not qualify for free vaccinations, at no charge to that person. Vaccines and vaccine programs are an enumerated expense under the Treasury's Interim and Final Rule, provided the program "provide incentives reasonably expected to increase the number of people who choose to get vaccinated, or that motivate people to get vaccinated sooner than they otherwise would have, are an allowable use of funds so long as such costs are reasonably proportional to the expected public health benefit.” 

LPD Emergency Staffing

Overtime wages for police officers that were called in for emergency duty, to cover staffing shortages due to other officers that tested positive for COVID-19, and were required to isolate at home, and therefore unable to work. 

In order to provide the staffing levels maintain City safety, police officers were needed to work extra shifts when other officers were unable to due to a positive COVID-19 test/diagnosis. 

Due to the unpredictable nature of COVID-19 transmission, planning for individuals to be out was not possible, so calling in officers from a day off to cover another office, was the most effective way to manage the staffing needs. 

LPD COVID – 19 Sanitation Program

The purpose of this program was to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by increasing cleaning sanitizing efforts in areas where individuals were detained by the Lowell Police Department.