City To Receive Over $9M In Covid Recovery Funds

Seems like a pretty tidy sum for a medium-sized city. Yoder

$9.6M of the $9.9M has been formally allocated to the City as part of the federally funded COVID American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA.)  

On March 11, 2021 President Biden signed a bill to provide additional relief for states, counties, cities and towns as well as public utilities, libraries and transit agencies affected by the coronavirus pandemic. 

The City of Redmond will receive a total of $9,928,999, in two increments, during the 2021-2022 biennium. The APRA funds will be held in the COVID Recovery Fund until a recommended spending plan is approved by Council. The funds must be obligated by December 2024 and spent on qualifying expenses by December 2026. 

Staff is still gathering information on ARPA, but allowable uses of the funds include: 

· COVID-19 emergency response; 

· Assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits related to the negative economic impacts of COVID19; 

· Aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality; 

· Hazard pay for eligible local government essential workers; 

· Grants to eligible private employers to provide hazard pay to essential workers; 

· Provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue due to COVID-19; and 

· To make necessary investments in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure.

-- Council Regular Meeting memo, 8/16/2021