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A resolution appropriating $398,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from Fund #30216 to offset Covid-19 Financial Oversight Committee and staff administrative expenses, and to expand the use of the existing American Rescue Plan Act funds currently allocated to public emergency response to include telework and information technology expenses.
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WHEREAS, on June 15, 2021, the Metropolitan Council passed Resolution RS2021-966, a resolution which accepted grant funds for local government support from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARP Funds”) from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson Count, which was subsequently signed into law by Mayor John Cooper on June 16, 2021; and,
WHEREAS, Resolution RS2021-966 established a COVID-19 Financial Oversight Committee ("the Committee") whose role is to collect, consider, and recommend appropriate uses of the ARP Funds as designated by the Metropolitan Council disbursement plan. The Committee will submit its reports and recommendations to the Mayor, the Director of Finance, and the Metropolitan Council not later than June 30, 2025; and,
WHEREAS, there are federal requirements for use of ARP Funds that require that these funds be expended or obligated on or before December 31, 2024; and,
WHEREAS, the Committee recognizes that the Metropolitan Government has spent funds on legal, staffing, bank fees, and other miscellaneous expenses such as parking. Metro also anticipates incurring additional expenses for consultants to assist with reporting, program management, and eligibility requirements, as described in Exhibit A; and,
WHEREAS, at this time, due to limited available ARP Funds, the Committee seeks to fund 87% of the proposed request in Exhibit A, with the expectation that the remainder of the program may be approved when further ARP Funds become available; and,
WHEREAS, the Committee previously recommended that $1,000,000.00 in ARP Funds be appropriated to various Metro departments to be used for vaccination and assessment centers, homeless emergency shelters, personal protective equipment, and sanitization and signage, which was approved by Metro Council through RS2021-1206; and,
WHEREAS, the Committee believes that use of these funds should be expanded to include telework and information technology needs, including, but not limited to equipment and software among a variety of departments; and,
WHEREAS, it is to the benefit of the citizens of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County that this resolution be approved.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. The Metropolitan Council accepts this resolution as a recommendation of the COVID-19 Financial Oversight Committee.
Section 2. That $ 398,000.00 from the Covid-19 American Rescue Plan Fund #30216 is hereby approved for administrative use as outlined in Exhibit A.
Section 3. That the ARP Fund allocation approved by the Metropolitan Council through RS2021-1206 be expanded to include telework and information technology needs.
Section 4. This resolution shall take effect from and after its final passage, the welfare of the public requiring it.
Agenda Analysis
Analysis
This resolution appropriates $398,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funding to offset COVID-19 Financial Oversight Committee and staff administrative expenses and to expand the use of existing ARP funds currently allocated to public emergency response to include telework and information technology expenses.
The Metropolitan Government has spent funds on legal, staffing, bank fees, and other miscellaneous expenses such as parking. Metro also anticipates incurring additional expenses for consultants to assist with reporting, program management, and eligibility requirements.
The Council previously appropriated $1,000,000.00 in ARP funds to various Metro departments to be used for vaccination and assessment centers, homeless emergency shelters, personal protective equipment, and sanitization and signage through RS2021-1206. The COVID-19 Financial Oversight Committee recommends the use of these funds be expanded to include telework and information technology needs, including but not limited to equipment and software among a variety of departments. This appropriation funds 87% of the proposed request, which can be found in Exhibit A to the resolution.
Fiscal Note: This $398,000 appropriation, along with the appropriations per Resolution No. RS2022-1559 and Resolution No. RS2022-1560 would be the 24th, 25th and 26th resolutions appropriating from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARP) Fund for a cumulative total of $110,508,686. The total grant award is $259,810,600 and the first half of this amount was received in July 2021.