Tiburon weighs its options for spending pandemic-relief cash

The Tiburon Town Council is looking at how to spend the rest of its $2.17 million in federal pandemic relief, including potential ways to address sea rise and climate change, deploy townwide broadband and help local nonprofits that support the town.

The council at its Nov. 17 meeting held its long-delayed annual goal-setting retreat, which includes a review of town projects meant to improve infrastructure and life for residents. It’s typically held in person the first quarter of the year but was delayed by the pandemic; with time running out on Councilmember Holli Thier’s term as mayor, it was held last week, Thier’s last meeting with the gavel before a new mayor is selected by the council Dec. 1.

In July, Tiburon received its first $1.09-million payment of its share of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill passed in March that sought to speed the nation’s economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to stimulus checks for individuals, an extension of unemployment benefits and grants for small businesses, education and housing, the bill provided $350 billion for local governments to bridge budget shortfalls and other economic setbacks.

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