From left to right: East Longmeadow Town Manager Tom Christensen, Town Councilor Jim Leydon, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, Fire Chief Christopher Beecher, Deputy Fire Chief Edward Linehan and police Lt. Steve Manning.
Reminder Publishing photo by Peter Tuohy
EAST LONGMEADOW — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal paid a visit to the East Longmeadow Fire Department as his fourth stop on the “Landmark Laws, Local Investments” tour on Aug. 20 to showcase how federal funds are used to support town projects.
East Longmeadow received $12.3 million in federal funding over the past few years for projects surrounding infrastructure, education, clean energy and public safety.
The funding came from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2021 and 2022.
This event showcased a firetruck and multiple marked vehicles, purchased through the ARPA funds. Town Councilor Jim Leydon said the town has also been able to contribute to water and sewer projects and school repairs.
Leydon said, “those funds are really used to enhance our public safety and our response times here in the town of East Longmeadow.”
Neal said the tour’s purpose is to remind people of how money from the COVID-19 pandemic and rescue packages are being spent.
“The challenge is, you know, whether it’s the local, state or national government, reminding people of these investments that we made,” Neal said. “Nobody did it any better than East Longmeadow. They treated them as long-term investments, as evidenced by public safety.”
The town also used funds for the future Town Hall, which Neal said is a wise expenditure. He said the idea is to put money in the hands of people who needed it with immediacy to make long-term capital investments.
“Oftentimes, the public tends to become a bit jaded because they wonder where the money went,” Neal said. “We have examples and visuals that they can highlight and remind them how the money was spent.”
Neal told Reminder Publishing that Massachusetts has received billions in funding and the partnerships will continue. He stated that East Longmeadow has been “savvy” with the funding.
Fire Chief Christopher Beecher said the Fire Department has been able to purchase and make lease payments toward multiple news vehicles, which will last another 15 years.
Police Lt. Steven Manning said the Police Department has been able to purchase two patrol vehicles, which the department wouldn’t otherwise have if not for the funding.
Town Manager Tom Christensen said the funding takes four years of projects off of the town’s capital plan.
“It’s impossible to even quantify how much that means to a community of our size,” Christensen said. “We’re very grateful.”
