Committee reviewing how to spend funds
Hamilton County has a plan in place to invest its share of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The county will receive $65,555,152 in two payments. The first of which, roughly $32 million, has already been received; with the second payment set to arrive in June 2022.
Unlike the CARES Act funding, the county has until 2026 to invest the ARPA funds. ARPA also has a spending provision that gives local governments more flexibility in how they spend the funds.
An ARPA Committee, made up of County Commissioners, County Council members, the County Auditor, the County attorney and staff members, is reviewing and making recommendations on how the ARPA funds will be invested.
Heirbrandt
“We want to reassure our residents that our desire and goal is to effectively and efficiently administer the ARPA funds, making sure we are doing right by and taking care of our community,” said Mark Heirbrandt, President of the Board of Commissioners.
The federal government has outlined specific allowable uses for the funding. The funds can be used to support ongoing response and recovery to the COVID-19 pandemic and address the negative economic impact, supplement government revenue to the extent of loss for the purpose of providing public services, invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure, and provide premium pay for essential workers during the pandemic.
In the most recent ARPA committee meeting a preliminary investment plan for the allocation of ARPA funding was presented. The plan outlines five key areas for the investment of the funding:
- Revenue reduction recovery
- Water/sewer infrastructure
- Broadband deployment
- Economic development/relief
- Reserve for contingencies
The committee’s primary goal is to review all potential areas of investment with an eye on the county’s strategic plan, specifically the part about investing in equity. This means targeting funds toward projects that will address health disparities, increase diversity, and also create a sustainable financial future for the county. The committee is also looking at areas where there could be combined investment on specific issues that overlap with cities and towns within the county and providing relief to small businesses and not for profit organizations.
Maki
“The committee will establish a grant program, with an online application portal, through which organizations can apply to receive funding,” explained County Councilwoman Sue Maki. “We are working hard to get the portal functional so that we can help the organizations that have been struggling and take care of our community.”
The final investment plan will be presented at the next Commissioners’ meeting on Monday, Aug. 9 for approval. Once the plan is approved, it will be published on the ARPA Committee’s webpage located on the county website.