Substitute
Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: Chief Executive Office
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): All
Appropriation of American Rescue Plan Act Funding to Eligible Programs and Operating Expenses
Body
Information Contact: Zachary L. Williams, COO/Executive Assistant
Phone Number: 404-371-2426
PURPOSE:
To appropriate American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funding to eligible programs and operating expenses.
NEED/IMPACT:
The Federal Government allocated $147,484,541 in American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act funding to DeKalb County to be distributed in two tranches in 2021 and 2022.
The ARP Act provides that payments from the Fund may only be used to cover costs incurred beginning on March 3, 2021 to:
• Support public health expenditures, by funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff;
• Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector;
• Replace lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic;
• Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have borne and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors; and,
• Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and to expand access to broadband internet.
The Board of Commissioners have previously appropriated $27,976,979 from the second tranche of ARP funds.
This action appropriates $44,014,708 in ARP Act funding to the following programs and operating expenses based on committee recommendations:
• Vaccination Events - $3,000,000 (Recommended by PECS Committee on 11/10/2022)
• Board of Health - $2,000,000 (Recommended by PECS Committee on 11/10/2022)
• Food Insecurity - $1,000,000 (Recommended by PECS Committee on 11/10/2022)
• Community Service Board - Mental health assistance - $1,000,000 (Recommended by PECS Committee on 12/13/2022)
• State Court - Division B - Buildout of Memorial Drive space - $3,000,000 (Recommended by FAB Committee on 11/17/2022)
• State Court - Division A
o Audiovisual equipment upgrades - $500,000 (Recommended by FAB Committee on 11/17/2022)
o Time-limited positions for COVID backlog - $71,708 (Recommended by FAB Committee on 11/17/2022)
• Magistrate Court - Audiovisual equipment upgrades - $443,000 (Recommended by FAB Committee on 11/17/2022)
• Watershed Management - Woodland Hills and Shepherd’s Lane replacement projects - $13,000,000 (Recommended by PWI Committee on 1/17/2023)
• Sanitation - Revenue loss standard allowance (Cell construction at Seminole Landfill) - $10,000,000 (Recommended by PWI Committee on 1/17/2023)
• Stormwater Management o Construction of 42 stormwater projects - $6,112,592 (Recommended by PWI Committee on 1/17/2023)
o Contingency - $3,658
o Project management/oversight - $1,500,000 (Recommended by PWI Committee on 1/17/2023)
o Emergency response activities - $750,000 (Recommended by PWI Committee on 1/17/2023)
o Materials - Stormwater supplies, pipe, gravel, etc. - $633,750 (Recommended by PWI Committee on 1/17/2023)
o Dam maintenance and repair - $1,000,000 (Recommended by PWI Committee on 1/17/2023)
FISCAL IMPACT:
DeKalb County has received $73,742,270.50 from the second tranche of ARP Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. This agenda item appropriates $44,014,708 to eligible programs and operating expenses.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
To approve appropriation of American Rescue Plan funding to eligible programs and operating expenses and authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute all necessary documents.