IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
AN ORDINANCE accepting a grant in the amount of $11,550,205.00 received from the U.S. Treasury relating to emergency rental assistance authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, appropriating $11,550,205.00 from the undesignated fund balance of the 2021 Grant Fund, and authorizing the County Executive to execute a Cooperative Agreement with the Community Services League of Independence, MO, to administer the rental assistance funding on behalf of Jackson County.
Intro
ORDINANCE NO. 5493, March 15, 2021
INTRODUCED BY Dan Tarwater III, County Legislators
Body
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic due to COVID-19; and,
WHEREAS, the United States government has approved multiple emergency relief packages to provide funds to the County, other local governments, and citizens to meet unanticipated public health and economic needs caused by the pandemic; and,
WHEREAS, a recently announced emergency rental assistance (ERA) program included within the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, makes available $25 billion to assist households that are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and,
WHEREAS, on January 26, 2021, the County received its allocation of ERA funds from the U.S. Treasury in the amount of $11,550,205.00; and,
WHEREAS, the County is required to use the funds to provide assistance to eligible households through existing or newly created rental assistance programs; and,
WHEREAS, the County may only use the funds to provide financial assistance in the form of rent, rental arrears, utilities and home energy costs, utilities and home energy costs arrears, and other expenses related to housing incurred due, directly or indirectly, to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, as defined by the Secretary of the Treasury, to eligible households; and,
WHEREAS, to be eligible, a household must be obligated to pay rent on a residential dwelling and the County must determine that one or more individuals within a household has qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship due, directly or indirectly, to the COVID-19 outbreak; one or more individuals within the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and the household has a household income at or below 80% of the area’s median income; and,
WHEREAS, it is appropriate that these ERA funds be maintained in a separate and identified County special revenue fund and not commingled with the general or other special revenue funds of the County; and,
WHEREAS, the execution of a Cooperative Agreement with the Community Services League (CSL) of Independence, MO, which will be authorized to partner with the United Way of Greater Kansas City, MO, for the administration of these funds throughout the County, is in the best interests of the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the County; and,
WHEREAS, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, and pursuant to its lawful authority, the 16th Judicial Circuit Court of Jackson County has adjudicated several cases involving citizens of the County who are eligible for ERA under the provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021; and,
WHEREAS, as of February 3, 2021, judgments rendered pursuant to the 16th Judicial Circuit Court’s adjudicated cases totaled approximately $387,946.34; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of citizens throughout the County that first priority for services provided under the provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, be provided to those citizens who are subject to judgments rendered by the 16th Judicial Circuit Court of Jackson County; now therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri, that the following appropriation be and hereby is made:
DEPARTMENT/DIVISION CHARACTER/DESCRIPTION FROM TO
Grant Fund
Emergency Rental Assistance
010-1030 45234- Increase Revenues $11,550,205
010-9999 32810-
Undesignated Fund Balance $11,550,205
010-9999 32810-
Undesignated Fund Balance $11,550,205
Emergency Rental Assistance
010-1030 56789-
Outside Agency Funding $11,550,205
and,
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that the County Executive be and hereby is authorized to execute a Cooperative Agreement with the CSL in a form to be approved by the County Counselor; and,
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that the Director of the Department of Finance and Purchasing be and hereby is authorized to make all payments, including final payment on the Agreement.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This ordinance shall be effective immediately upon its signature by the County Executive.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________ ________________________________
Chief Deputy County Counselor County Counselor
I hereby certify that the attached ordinance, Ordinance No. 5493 introduced on March 15, 2021, was duly passed on March 22, 2021 by the Jackson County Legislature. The votes thereon were as follows:
Yeas _______5________ Nays ______4________
Abstaining _____0______ Absent _____0________
This Ordinance is hereby transmitted to the County Executive for his signature.
____________________ ________________________________
Date Mary Jo Spino, Clerk of Legislature
I hereby approve the attached Ordinance No. 5493.
____________________ ________________________________
Date Frank White, Jr., County Executive
Fiscal Note
Funds sufficient for this appropriation are available from the source indicated below.
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 010 9999 32810
ACCOUNT TITLE: Grant Fund
Undesignated Fund Balance
NOT TO EXCEED: $11,550,205.00
There is a balance otherwise unencumbered to the credit of the appropriation to which the expenditure is chargeable and there is a cash balance otherwise unencumbered in the treasury to the credit of the fund from which payment is to be made each sufficient to provide for the obligation herein authorized.
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 010 1030 56789
ACCOUNT TITLE: Grant Fund
Emergency Rental Assistance
Outside Agency Funding
NOT TO EXCEED: $11,550,205.00
________________________ _______________________________
Date Chief Administrative Officer