IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION implementing an allocation methodology for the eventual distribution of approximately $70.4 million in remaining Jackson County American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds by the end of 2024.
Intro
RESOLUTION NO. 21769, October 21, 2024
INTRODUCED BY DaRon McGee, Sean E. Smith, Manuel Abarca IV, Donna Peyton, and Venessa Huskey, County Legislators
Body
WHEREAS, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, enacted by the U.S. Congress, provided for payments to local governments navigating the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds; and,
WHEREAS, ARPA requires that these federal funds may be used only to cover expenses to respond to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) or its negative impacts, including assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits, or aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality; to respond to workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 public health emergency providing premium pay to eligible workers of the State, territory, or Tribal/local government that are performing such essential work, or by providing grants to eligible employers that have eligible workers who perform essential work; for the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue of such State, territory, or Tribal/local government due to COVID-19 public health emergency relative to revenues collected in the most recent full fiscal year of the State, territory, or Tribal/local government prior to the emergency; and to make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure; and incurred during the period from March 3, 2021 through December 31, 2026; and,
WHEREAS, Jackson County’s total allocation of ARPA funds was $136,551,645 with approximately $70,400,000 remaining; and,
WHEREAS, ARPA funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024 and spent by December 31, 2026; and,
WHEREAS, it is noted that the 2023 Request for Proposals (RFP) for ARPA funding was consistent with Jackson County’s longstanding grant solicitation protocols, and is similar to the RFP process used by the Missouri Department of Economic Development; and,
WHEREAS, this process resulted in numerous agencies believing that they were going to be awarded funds. The final allocation process for these ARPA funds will recognize the efforts of those agencies and the independent analysis that recommended funding; and,
WHEREAS, future legislative action in the form an ordinance could potentially modify the total allocation by category to recognize those agencies and community needs; and,
WHEREAS, the ARPA funds are to be allocated for Community Investment, County Facility Capital Improvements, Public Health Department and Programming, and Long-Term County Facility Planning and Investments; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, Community Investment will receive a total of $58,200,000 and will be allocated as follows:
1) Women’s Health Initiative Grants will receive $1,000,000 to provided trauma supports for maternal health, crisis intervention and treatment efforts, sexual violence prevention, and other necessary autonomous health programs;
2) The Senior Services will receive $3,200,000 to provide financial assistance to Seniors, with organizational fiscal agents prioritizing the use of small businesses and Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE);
3) Small Business Grants initiative will receive $3,000,000 to support offset expenses, losses, and make up revenues from validated pandemic expenses;
4) Childcare Support and Expansion Initiative Grants will receive $3,000,000;
5) Public Improvement Program for Parks and Community/Cultural Center Grants will receive $11,000,000;
6) New Affordable Housing Expansion will receive $3,000,000;
7) Housing and houselessness programs will receive $11,500,000;
8) Arts revitalization in Jackson County will receive $500,000;
9) Efforts to curb gun violence, either through the creation of an office of gun violence prevention or broadly through the public health department will receive $3,000,000;
10) Food Insecurity Infrastructure Solution Grants will receive $2,000,000 to support the elimination of food desserts through strategic investments in food suppliers throughout the community;
11) Creation of master planning and community survey programs will receive $1,000,000 to strategically plan for county wide improvements for all county facilities and external efforts to validate county priorities and opportunities through a survey;
12) Creation of a Municipal and other Jackson County Taxing Jurisdictions Grants Fund for a total not to exceed $16,000,000 creating three tiers for municipalities based upon population: A)10,000 and below, B)10,000-100,000 and C) 100,000 and above; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, County Infrastructure will receive $12,200,000 to fund the work on the Downtown Courthouse exterior, jury room renovations, Downtown Courthouse ground floor separation issue, family justice center expansion, public health department and programs and Historic Truman Courthouse renovations, with any remaining funds to be available for other county infrastructure projects agreed to by the County Executive and Legislature; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that all Jackson County construction projects will be appropriately executed in accordance with the procurement rules and regulations under Jackson County’s Purchasing Code Chapter 10, and be constructed using Missouri prevailing wage and approved occupational titles and all compliance guidelines of the county; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in accordance with current U.S. Treasury Guidelines and under Chapter 10 of the County Code, under the titled section denoted as Competitive Bid Not Required subsection 1030.7 tax exempt organizations and agencies stating that, “competitive bidding shall not be required when funds are appropriated and a contract for services is or will be awarded by resolution or ordinance of the County Legislature to an organization or agency which is exempt from federal income taxation (ord. 3839, Eff. 11/28/06)”; meaning all funded categories denoted as grant programs will utilize this mechanism for fast and vetted distribution of funds by the deadline; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County Executive will undertake all required processes to ensure that the monies are made available for contracting prior to December 31, 2024.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This resolution shall be effective immediately upon its signature by the County Executive.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________
County Counselor
I hereby certify that the attached resolution, Resolution No. 21769 introduced on October 14, 2024, was duly passed on October 21, 2024 by the Jackson County Legislature. The votes thereon were as follows:
Yeas ______7_________ Nays _____1________
Abstaining ____0_______ Absent ____1________
________________________ ____________________________________
Date Mary Jo Spino, Clerk of the Legislature