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A resolution appropriating $326,800.00 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from Fund #30216 to complete funding allocation to the Office of Family Safety, to be used to address increased demand for therapy and services for victims of abuse, human trafficking and interpersonal violence.
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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 Recovery Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, 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 American Rescue Plan Act funds that require that these funds be expended or obligated on or before December 31, 2024; and,
WHEREAS, on September 21, 2021, Metro Council passed RS2021-1152, which appropriated 3,148,980.00 in ARP Funds to the Office of Family Safety for the Metropolitan Government, to be sued to address increased demand for therapy and services for victims of abuse, human trafficking and interpersonal violence; and,
WHEREAS, client demand for the OFS programs originally supported by RS2021-1152 has exceeded expectations and additional staff are required to support the original scope of activities; and,
WHEREAS, OFS also seeks to broaden the scope of those programs to include crisis advocacy; and,
WHERES, the original OFS request only included allocations for salary compensation and did not include allocations for fringe benefits and other costs; and,
WHEREAS, the Committee agrees that these proposed additional costs, which are further defined in Exhibit A, are appropriate allocations to support these important OFS programs; 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 $326,800.00 from the Covid-19 American Rescue Plan Fund #30216 is hereby appropriated to the Office of Family Safety to supplement the original request granted in RS2021-1152.
Section 3. This resolution shall take effect from and after its final passage, the welfare of the public requiring it.
Agenda Analysis
Analysis
This resolution appropriates $326,800 in American Rescue Plan Act (“ARP”) funds from Fund #30216 to complete the funding allocation to the Office of Family Safety to address increased demand for therapy and services for victims of abuse, human trafficking, and interpersonal violence.
Resolution No. RS2021-1152 appropriated $3,148,980 in ARP Funds to the Office of Family Safety to fund four high risk case managers, transportation and emergency needs of clients, therapy clinicians for children and adults impacted by interpersonal violence, and two additional AGAPE overnight and afterhours order of protection advocates.
Additional staff is required to support the original scope of activities and the Office of Family Safety also seeks to broaden the scope of those programs to include crisis advocacy. The requested funding would cover fringe for the four case managers, salary and fringe for one additional crisis advocacy and case manager, case manager mileage and parking, specific assistance to individuals, training and conferences for staff, and supplies for staff. This additional funding will allow the program to continue through June 30, 2024.
Fiscal Note: This $326,800 appropriation, along with the appropriations per Resolution No. RS2023-1947, RS2023-1948, RS2023-1949, and RS2023-1950 would be the 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, and 49th resolutions appropriating from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARP) Fund for a cumulative total of $251,791,030. The total grant award is $259,810,600. The first half of this amount was received in July 2021 and the second half was received in July 2022. The grant award must be obligated by December 31, 2024 and expended by December 31, 2026.