Some local social service and health organizations may be spending time today completing their applications for CARES Act funding in Wyandotte County.
Commissioner Melissa Bynum, who is serving on a UG CARES Act committee, mentioned at the Wyandotte County Third Saturday Democratic Breakfast online forum on Saturday that the deadline is coming up quickly at midnight July 19.
Commissioner Angela Markley is the chair of the committee.
Wyandotte County was granted $37.3 million in CARES Act funding. Local governments and nonprofit organizations in Wyandotte County may submit applications for grants for programs that respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the UG’s application, this first round will prioritize UG expenses, other city governments in Wyandotte County, as well as health and social service agencies responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor David Alvey, at the Saturday online forum, said that he was disappointed that the federal funds from this program will not be allowed to be used for county and city revenue shortfalls. He has reached out to federal senators and representatives about it, he said. The federal funds can be used only for expenses and programs that were directly related to COVID-19 costs. Those rules were set at the federal level.
A second round of funding is expected later, with guidelines to follow, according to the mayor. One of the later rounds will be for costs that businesses experienced due to COVID-19.
The UG’s committee, or working group, on CARES Act funding will review funding requests and reimbursement applications at 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 21; 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 22; 3 p.m. Thursday, July 23; and 3:30 p.m. Friday, July 24. These will be internet meetings, and the public will be able to listen to them.
Once this committee makes its selections, the recommendations will be sent to the full UG Commission for review.
According to a news release from Gov. Laura Kelly’s office, the state distributed $400 million Thursday to local governments from the second and third rounds of Coronavirus Relief Fund investments.
According to the governor’s office, county governments can use the second and third round funds for reimbursement of the unbudgeted costs of expenditures incurred due to COVID-19. Also, county governments will be able to spend the remaining amount of their allotment by submitting a direct aid plan to the Office of Recovery by Aug. 15, according to the governor’s news release. The direct aid plans allows counties to prepare for any possible increase in COVID-19 cases in the future, according to the governor’s office. Counties that do not submit direct aid plans will be required to return these second and third round funds to the state, the news release stated.
According to the Unified Government application form, the deadline for applications for the first round is midnight July 19. The application and information are at https://us.openforms.com/Form/6273fe80-8bba-4c18-b4e7-e551096d8a83.
For more information about the UG’s program for CARES Act funding, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.
For more information on the state SPARK task force program, visit https://covid.ks.gov/spark-recovery-office/.
To see an earlier story, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/wyandotte-county-to-receive-37-3-million-in-cares-act-funding/.