AN ACT to appropriate funds for various needs for the town of Williamston.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Town of Williamston the nonrecurring sum of twenty‑nine million nine hundred thousand dollars ($29,900,000) for the 2022‑2023 fiscal year. Funds appropriated in this act do not revert but remain available to the town for the purposes allowed in this act. Of the amount appropriated in this section, the town shall use the following amounts in the following ways:

(1)        Nineteen million two hundred thousand dollars ($19,200,000) for water and sewer infrastructure improvements, including transmission main and transmission line repairs and improvements, fire flow improvements, watershed improvements, and wastewater system equipment and improvements, and for operating grants and loan forgiveness for the Martin County Regional Water and Sewer Authority.

(2)        Two million dollars ($2,000,000) for economic development in the downtown corridor, including grant awards or loan programs or both to incentivize businesses to locate in the downtown area; to make improvements to exterior and interior downtown governmental facilities or commercial facilities to better compete in attracting new occupants, including greenspace creation, improvement, and rejuvenation; and to make energy improvements, including charging stations, energy efficiency initiatives, and electric vehicle and solar equipment purchases for town departments.

(3)        Two million dollars ($2,000,000) for transportation and related infrastructure improvement, including street repairs and paving in underserved areas.

(4)        Six million six hundred thousand dollars ($6,600,000) for public safety improvements, including fire hydrant capacity and capability markings, replacement of aging fire and rescue vehicles and equipment, and retiring of debt incurred as a result of police and fire department needs.

(5)        One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for cybersecurity upgrades and improvements to protect citizen data and town departmental services and functions.

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.