Background/Purpose of Request:
The federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law on March 11, 2021 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including public health and economic impacts. As part of this funding, direct federal aid will be provided to counties across the country to respond to the past and future impacts of the pandemic.
Brunswick County will receive $27,699,060 in ARPA funding, of which the County has already received $13,870,555.50. These funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024, and must be exhausted by December 31, 2026.
The following is a DRAFT guideline to identify priorities and allocated funding to address the impacts of the pandemic in our community.
All of the individual priorities listed will require further investigation by staff, and will be brought back before the Commissioners for approval before moving forward. The County may choose to alter or amend the proposed projects at any time based on prioritization of the County, availability of funds, timeline of the project, and other factors that may impact the use of funds.
The Treasury has provided guidance for how counties may spend these funds, prioritizing the following eligible uses:
- Revenue replacement for the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, relative to revenues collected in the most recent fiscal year prior to the emergency (the County does not qualify for revenue replacement based on Treasury guidelines)
- COVID-19 expenditures or negative economic impacts of COVID-19, including assistance to small businesses, households, and hard-hit industries, and economic recovery
- Premium pay for essential workers
- Investment in water, sewer, storm water, and broadband infrastructure
While there is flexibility within these priorities, the County must be able to show a clear and obvious connection to responding the pandemic and its negative outcomes. The Treasury has also emphasized funding should be used to address economically distressed areas, or areas of underserved populations.
In generating the draft guidelines presented, the County consciously selected projects that would address the needs of the community in continuing to respond to the pandemic, improve public health through water and sewer infrastructure enhancements, accessibility to parks and internet access, assist local businesses and non-profits, and have long-lasting impacts on the County.
The following is a high-level breakdown of the proposed spending plan:
- Water & Sewer Projects - $13,500,000
Capital expansion and/or replacement of the water and sewer utility to improve service levels and promote system expansion, including cyber-security upgrades
- Community Investment & Enhancement - $6,200,000
Small Business Grants, Non-profit community assistance, Housing & Weatherization program, Mental Health grant program, Lead & Copper Remediation program implementation, Parks & Recreation capital projects, Library Services enhancement, and BCC parking lot improvement for mass vaccination site
- County Improvement Projects - $3,844,201
Capital construction expenses for HHS, IT improvements, Essential Worker compensation, Air purification system for County buildings, and PPE expenses
- Future Projects - $2,769,906
Maintain funds for future priorities that have yet to be identified
- Administrative Expenses - $1,384,953
Maintain funds for administrative or reporting expenses that may be incurred
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