Our In Focus conversation this week explores Upstate city investments of American Rescue Plan Act funding. JoDee Kenney spoke with Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino, who said his city’s tourism industry is rebounding from the pandemic. ARPA funding, Restaino said, is being provided to small businesses, particularly minority and women-owned business enterprises, as they continue to recover, and to help new entrepreneurs get off the ground. The mayor said investments in infrastructure, like the LED streetlight conversion project, aim to save money in the long run. Restaino also highlighted equipment purchases for the Niagara Falls Police and Fire Department to replace aging vehicles.

You can watch the full interview with Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino via the video player above. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting Upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.