For more information and helpful resources on the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, . 31 CFR 35 at 215, available at: https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/SLFRF-Final-Rule.pdf. Fort Myers, FL 33966, 3499 NW 97th Boulevard Suite 400 The interim final rule states that though funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024, they can be used through the end of the reporting period on December 31, 2026. Here are some key ways metropolitan cities and NEUs are allocating their SLFRF dollars for infrastructure projects: Public Space: Williamsburg, Virginia allocated $900,000 of the city's ARPA funds to enhance a playground at Waller Mill Park. Consider regional initiatives, including partnering with other ARPA recipients. In other Northeast Ohio cities, ARP . The ARPA funding has broader parameters and a lengthier timeline for spending. Heres a breakdown of CARES act funding, important resources for local governments, and examples of how cities and counties are using CARES to serve citizens with software and technology. To learn more, contact Lisa Nisenson at lisa.nisenson@wginc.com if you would like to leverage ARPA funds for local Complete Streets, trails, and green street projects. Though the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to trend downward in the U.S., the CDC still reportsover 15,000 caseseach week (as ofJune 4, 2021). This removes the need to prove that the pandemic was the specific or only cause of cancelled initiatives. The Treasury Department released an FAQ on the ARPA local fiscal recovery funds. Some services that moved online during the pandemic are likely to remain for the foreseeable future. Below is some guidance to keep in mind when making your request. Funds can be used for projects that fall under the following use categories, and address both current COVID-related impacts and longstanding challenges exacerbated by the pandemic: . American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Technology ishighlightedas an area for spending to address the negative economic impacts of the pandemic. Our development services provide the customization our clients require. 2022, MASSACHUSETTS MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION. ARPA funds can be used to support distance learning, tutoring, and after school programs for both K -12 and higher education students These funds can also be directed to support the emotional and mental health needs of students ARPA additionally allocates $7.1 billion for the E -Rate program, Along with thefunding guidelines, allocation methodologies and amountsfor cities, counties, territories, and states were released on May 10, 2021. The Treasury did not release funding amounts for Tribal governments, as they will receive allocation information after submitting their funding applications. To make necessary Improvement in infrastructure The funds can be used for improvements to provide clear drinking water, sewer upgrades, and expansion of broadband. Learn more and view specific programs that offer flexibilities. The ARPA Local Fiscal Recovery Program is a State pathway to infuse Federal funds into Maine towns and cities to support a variety of their economic recovery priorities, such as investing in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure or addressing the public health impacts of COVID-19, including replacing lost public sector revenue, providing . The move will . On October 1, 2021 the City Administrator sent a . Successful project applications will identify how the project addresses the identified need or impact. For cities, $65 billion is divided between jurisdictions that are Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement jurisdictions and those that are not. The. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), signed into law in March 2021, provides $350 billion in relief to states and local governments to combat the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the interim rule emphasizes the importance of, The interim rule notes that additional guidance is still forthcoming on several areas of funding, project selection, and reporting. Finance officers will play a critical role in highlighting the need to use ARPA funds prudently with an eye towards long-term financial stability and sustainable operating performance. Treasury also released details on how these funds can be used to respond to acute pandemic response needs, fill revenue To complete the submission for Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery funds, you will need to provide the following information on behalf of your organization: Though there is no application deadline as of the publication of this article, funding requests for those who have completed applications are already being fulfilled. Sign up to receive emails to hear our latest news and achievements in our monthly newsletter. TheAmerican Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, was designed to turn the tides on the pandemic via a substantial infusion of resources. The economic relief package of$1.9 trillionbecamelaw on March 11, 2021. The state funding portion is approximately $195 billion with $25.5 billion distributed equally among the 50 states and the District of Columbia and the remaining amount distributed according to a formula based on unemployment. The money can used for water, sewer, and broadband improvements, to offset lost revenue from the Coronavirus pandemic, and more. The ARPA permits the use of its funds for select infrastructure projects: water, sewer, and broadband. Local government processes could range from: Your technology project is more likely to be funded if you present a coherentplan. Projects may include, but are not limited to green roofs, bioretention basins, roadside plantings, porous pavement, and rainwater harvesting.[6], It should be noted that additional information may be provided when Treasury issues new Frequently Asked Questions ("FAQs") specific to the Final Rule. But to do that, they need property. The public health impacts experienced due to COVID are both direct and indirect. In the area of infrastructure, the ARPA focused on water, sewer and broadband projects. Though the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to trend downward in the U.S., the CDC still reports. (L3Harris) On March 11, President Joseph R. Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. Reg. Some references are explicit, while others require connecting the dots between Complete Streets benefits and COVID recovery. MTA strongly encourages all townships to accept the ARPA funding, which has very broad flexibility for its uses and does not have to be obligated until Dec. 31, 2024. The Treasury also published an FAQ specifically for non-entitlement units of government.. NLC also published an FAQ which is available here.. Suite 375 For many jurisdictions, the funding provided under ARPA is substantial and could be transformational for states and local governments in their pandemic rescue and recovery efforts. He said with the ARPA funds, broadband work can instead all be done at once. If your city hasnt begun planning for autonomous vehicles, its not too late but the time for urgency is fast approaching. The ARPA defines four broad use categories for the State and Local Fiscal . Of course, check with your governments financial or ARPA entity for any of their guidelines or recommendations first! Following that notice, the City Council directed the City Administrator to prepare a plan for allocating the funds. https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/SLFRF-Compliance-Statement.pdf. 30, 2021). Its a must-read if you want to understand how to use ARPA funds. Update: On January 6, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued the Final Rule, which governs the eligible uses of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds ("SLFRF") under the American Rescue Plan Act ("ARPA").The Final Rule makes several key changes to the Interim Final Rule, including expanding the eligible uses of CSLFRF and easing the administrative burden for some . The city was the first applicant for the county's ARPA funds, submitting a $1 million grant to fund a UV wastewater disinfection system at the treatment plant. Adequate time should be taken to carefully consider all alternatives for the prudent use of ARPA funding prior to committing the resources to ensure the best use of the temporary funding. On May 21, 2021, the U.S. Department of Revenue issued an interim final rule (referred to as interim rule hereafter) establishing funding criteria. If you have any questions, concerns, or issues while renewing your SAM registration, please contact the Federal Service Desk at 866-606-8220. For the non-entitlement jurisdictions, the amount will not exceed seventy- five percent of their most recent budget as of January 27, 2020. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) provides $200 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and billions more for library-eligible programs, including over $7 billion for broadband and devices. [4], In addition to the revenue loss category, road work would be eligible as required by stormwater system infrastructure projects. Of course, every entity receiving Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery funds will have its own requirements for eligibility. This means that when ARPA funds are used under the "Revenue Loss" category, the Federal Procurement Guidelines are not applicable. Simplify managing agendas, meetings, and committees with a single, end-to-end solution to optimize and digitize your legislative management process. The interim rule does, however, reference example projects that address COVID-related impacts and needs. Funds allocated to states cannot be used to directly or indirectly to offset tax reductions or delay a tax or tax increase; Funds cannot be deposited into any pension fund. That will free up general revenue to be used for traditional local government expenditures. The guidance around negative economic consequences includes rebuilding public sector capacity, including by rehiring public sector staff, and replenishing unemployment insurance trust funds to pre-pandemic levels. . In summary, local government can use ARPA funds to: According to the Treasury, recipients of ARPA funds have broad flexibility to decide how best to use this funding to meet the needs of their communities.. "Projects may include, but are not limited to green roofs, bioretention . Fiscal Recovery Funds, established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, to provide $350 billion in emergency funding for eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments. Hiring law enforcement officials, even above pre-pandemic levels, or paying overtime where the funds are directly focused on advancing community policing strategies in those communities experiencing an increase in gun violence associated with the pandemic The latest FAQ document adds further guidance for municipalities that wish to partner with nonprofits and private organizations, whether to issue premium pay or to address public health and economic impacts. Event Recap: 2021 FES | ACEC-FL Annual Conference, Event Recap: Key Takeaways from the 2019 American Planning Association Conference, A Call to Action for Better Processes in Land Planning, Funding elementary and secondary school emergency relief. The 853,500-square-foot facility already hosts more than 500,000 patrons a year to its performances, but it wants a more modern and efficient layout. But the recovery is ongoing. / MTA / JULY 15, 2021 1 . 1201 Wilson Boulevard In a nutshell, ARPA provides $350 billion for state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to address COVID-related economic impact through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. TheAmerican Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)is the third round of Coronavirus economic impact payments. To offer swift guidance on the use of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF), the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) published the . It includes benefits directly to individuals, such as recovery rebates . Commissioners said in early January that they couldn't commit to awarding any money to municipalities until they learned whether or not ARPA funds could be used on roads and bridges. For water and sewer, the Treasury aligned the types of projects with the wide range of projects that can be supported by the Environmental Protection Agencys clean water state revolving fund and drinking water state revolving fund. Distribution of the first round of American Rescue Plan Act payments to cities, counties, municipalities, and states is already underway. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), which President Biden signed on March 11, 2021, includes $30.5 billion in federal funding to support the nation's public transportation systems as they continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and support the President's call to vaccinate the U.S. population.. The township used the funds to pay public safety workers overtime. These tools can accelerate aid to community members in the greatest need, and even increase the number of people able to be served through optimization. Recipients may also use funding to build internal capacity to successfully implement economic relief programs, with investments in data analysis, targeted outreach and technology infrastructure. He said local leaders would have liked to use the latest relief money to upgrade the township's roads and parks, but such general infrastructure projects aren't allowed under the law. Suite 340 31 CFR 35 at 14, available at: https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/SLFRF-Final-Rule.pdf. For counties, the $65 billion will be allocated based on the countys population. GFOA will provide regular updates as information becomes available. These tools can accelerate aid to community members in the greatest need, and even increase the number of people able to be served through optimization. If that project has benefit to the public, it may be eligible to come back into play with ARPA funding. Finally, a local government to use ARP funds for eligible pandemic-specific expenses. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocated $350 billion in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (Fiscal Recovery Funds) to help states, counties, cities, and tribal governments respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency, address its economic fallout, and lay the foundation for an equitable recovery. ARE THERE RESTRICTIONS ON HOW THE INTEREST CAN BE USED? Show that you understand your problem, how your proposed solution solves your problem, and that you can implement and execute on your solution quickly. A fund management platform can automate reporting for ARPA allocations, including timesheets, spend tracking, and more. Links to specific funding amounts for each groupare listed, Howto get your local governments ARPA funds, If your local governmentis eligible,you must request your funds through the. Suite 115 Infrastructure within ARPA is defined largely as (1) broadband and (2) water projects that would also be eligible for funding under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) or the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). For ARPA funding, weve been working on ways to connect the dots between ARPA goals and Complete Streets and trails projects. How Can Michigan Townships Use the American Rescue Plan Act Funds? Also think about KPIs (key performance indicators) you will track to describe project success. Water, sewer and broadband Our rapidly changing communities face incredible pressures and challenges ranging from the environmental to the technological and beyond. Most DOT grant programs involve sharing project costs. Suite 300 Suite 380 Did your local government have a technology project postponed or cancelled because of pandemic-related budgetary concerns? WGI is a silver partner in the Complete Streets Coalition (a project within Smart Growth America), a group of researchers, advocates, and practitioners advancing best practices for designing multi-modal streets. While you must ensure the tech meets the guidelinesas summarized above, theTreasury wrote thespending criteria broadly to allow local government to respond to the pandemic inways that best address their unique situation. Recipients will compute the extent of their reduction in revenue by, comparing their actual revenue to an alternative representing what could have been expected to occur in the absence of the pandemic, . Additional enforcement efforts to reduce gun violence exacerbated by the pandemic, including prosecuting gun traffickers, dealers and other parties contributing to the supply of crime guns, as well as collaborative federal, state, and local efforts to identify and address gun trafficking channels Take public meetings, for example. Community Violence Intervention programs, including capacity building efforts at CVI programs, like funding and training additional intervention workers Technology certainly supports your city or countys pandemic recovery and creates sustainable, equitable government processes for the future. In addition to the $10 million through ARPA, the city's emergency housing program will receive a $4.5 million grant from the federal government on Thursday which city officials expect will be its last. , or ARPA, was designed to turn the tides on the pandemic via a substantial infusion of resources. 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