The Unified Government Commission will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12, to hold an ARPA budget workshop
The commission is expected to discuss how to spend the immediate needs funding for the American Rescue Plan Act funding received by the UG.
The UG has a report online on its ARPA funds, which total $87 million, at https://dashboards.mysidewalk.com/american-rescue-plan-act/immediate-needs.
ARPA funds that are not set aside to cover revenue loss can be spent on needs such as COVID-19 health-related expenditures. Proposals are outlined in this UG report.
Public health would receive $5.9 million under the proposal.
Household assistance of $868,000 is proposed for food assistance, a bilingual housing navigator, and legal assistance with housing issues.
There is also a proposal for $500,000 in nonprofit assistance and $650,000 in small business assistance.
Proposed to be spent on tourism to mitigate COVID’s impact on the hotel industry would be $200,000. Job training assistance would receive $80,000 under the proposal.
Set aside for disproportionately impacted communities would be $470,000 under the proposal. It would include $250,000 for educational assistance; $160,000 for housing support; and $60,000 for healthy childhood environments.
Community benefit navigators would receive $151,000 and community violence intervention data collection, $90,000, under this proposal. A violence intervention program would receive $359,000.
Also proposed is $27,000 for UG staff time overseeing ARPA; $325,000 for grant discovery and writing consultant; and $70,000 for grant management software.
Also proposed is $1 million for online processes at the UG; and $929,000 for municipal court software.
The community has already made some public comments at a previous public hearing on the ARPA funds. More comments can be made online at https://dottetalk.mindmixer.com/, and also by emailing [email protected] .
Persons also may attend the virtual meeting Thursday.
The public may view the meeting on Zoom on the internet, and also may go to the lobby of City Hall,701 N. 7th, to view the meeting.
The commissioners will be on the fifth floor, with a video link to the lobby.
The public also may see the meeting on YouTube and UGTV cable television.
To link by Zoom, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85327968927?pwd=TUZIZzdyVnBWaWsrUGtUQmtZNitRUT09.
The passcode is 326021.
The webinar ID is 853 2796 8927.
Or the public may telephone toll-free, 877-853-5257 or 888-475-4499.