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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReg 2021-10-18 Item 6C - Discussion - Phase II Prioritization for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) FundsCOUNCIL AGENDA SYNOPSIS Initials Meeting Date Prepared by Mayor's review Council review 10/11/21 Vicky ❑ Motion Mtg Date ❑ Resolution Mtg Date 10/18/21 Vicky ❑ Public Hearing Mtg Date ❑ Other Mtg Date Mtg Date SPONSOR ❑ Council ❑ Mayor ❑ Admin ❑ P&'R ❑ Police ❑ PIF Svcs ❑ DCD 11 Finance ❑ Fire SPONSOR'S Identify and prioritize projects utilizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that will SLTb MARY be included in the 2021-2022 mid -biennium budget amendments. REVIEWED BY ❑ Trans&Infrastructure Svcs ❑ Community Svcs/Safety ❑ LTAC ❑ Arts Comm. DATE: 10/11/21 /1 Finance & Governance ❑ Planning & Community Dev. ❑ Planning Comm. CHAIR: IDAN ITEM INFORMATION ITEM No. 6.C. 107 STAFF SPONSOR: VICKY CARLSEN ORIGINAL AGENDA DATE: 10/11/21 AGENDA ITEM TITLE Identify and Prioritize Projects Utilizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds CATEGORY 11 Discussion 10/11, 10/18 ❑ Motion Mtg Date ❑ Resolution Mtg Date ❑ Ordinance Mtg Date ❑ Bid Award Mtg Date ❑ Public Hearing Mtg Date ❑ Other Mtg Date Mtg Date SPONSOR ❑ Council ❑ Mayor ❑ Admin ❑ P&'R ❑ Police ❑ PIF Svcs ❑ DCD 11 Finance ❑ Fire SPONSOR'S Identify and prioritize projects utilizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that will SLTb MARY be included in the 2021-2022 mid -biennium budget amendments. REVIEWED BY ❑ Trans&Infrastructure Svcs ❑ Community Svcs/Safety ❑ LTAC ❑ Arts Comm. DATE: 10/11/21 /1 Finance & Governance ❑ Planning & Community Dev. ❑ Planning Comm. CHAIR: IDAN ❑ Parks Comm. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS: SPONSOR/ADMIN. COMMITTEE Finance Department Unanimous Approval; Forward to Committee of the Whole COST IMPACT / FUND SOURCE EXPENDITURE REQUIRED AMOUNT BUDGETED APPROPRIATION REQUIRED $ Fund Source: Comments: MTG. DATE RECORD OF COUNCIL ACTION 10/11/21 Forward to next Regular Meeting 10/18/21 MTG. DATE ATTACHMENTS 10/11/21 Informational Memorandum dated 9/29/21 10/18/21 Informational Memorandum (updated after 10/11/21 C.O.W.) 107 108 of Tukwila Allan Ekberg, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO: Finance and Governance Committee FROM: Vicky Carlsen, Finance Director CC: Mayor Ekberg DATE: June 14, 2021 October 14, 2021 (Updated following 10/11/21 COW) SUBJECT: Phase 2 Funding Prioritization - Identify and prioritize projects utilizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds ISSUE Staff is seeking Committee input to identify and prioritize projects that could be paid for using ARPA funds. BACKGROUND On March 22, 2021, staff began a discussion with the Finance & Governance committee to seek input into a process for how to prioritize service level restoration if and when ongoing revenues exceed revenues adopted in the 2021-2022 biennial budget as well as restored revenues from sales tax mitigation payments. Included in the info memo was a section discussing federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act. There was agreement to approach these funding discussions in three phases. Phase 1 — Council Consensus on May 10, 2021 — utilized sales tax mitigation payments expected to be received July 1, 2021, and was targeted to those items that would: 1. Provide the most direct impact to improving the quality of life for our community — Streets and Parks Maintenance to keep parks clean and respond to concerns about garbage, litter, and graffiti. 2. Revenue backed services — The Consolidated Permit Center is handling an increased demand for permits which are supported by fees. 3. Services which have been contractually required Including agreements with the Teamsters and IAFF Local #2088 for Fire Overtime. 4. Critical services which should be restored — This includes restoring some necessary services, such as cybersecurity contracts in Technology Information Services. Phase 2 is targeted to utilize the American Rescue Plan Act funds. This discussion is planned to begin on June 14 with additional information in this memo and continue through July with the full Council which will provide time to receive more details from the Federal Government. Phase 3 is targeted to use possible additional revenues as they return to pre -pandemic levels. This phase is expected to begin in August 2021 after we see begin to see the impacts of vaccinations on revenue sources. 109 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 2 Phase 2 Funding - Using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds The earlier memo included a partial list of possible projects that could be funded with ARPA money including: • Upgrading equipment in the Council chambers to allow for both in-person as well as virtual participation in city Council meetings and workshops. • Adding Internet access to neighborhoods underserved by existing Internet options. • Funding additional human services and/or small business programs and outreach. • Funding to design and possibly purchase property for a youth/senior center. • Economic Development Plan • Other one-time services such as studies, plans or designs. Federal Funding - American Rescue Plan Act On March 10, 2021, a $1.9 trillion relief package, known as the American Rescue Plan Act, was approved and provides funding in several areas including state and local aid, education, rental assistance, and transit. Preliminary estimates show that the City of Tukwila could receive as much as $4.43 million in one-time funds. Staff will confirm the final amount once we receive official notification from the State, which is not expected until at least July. Funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024. Final notification has been received and the City of Tukwila will receive $5.78 million, which is $1.35 million more than originally expected. From what we know today, the funds can be used in the following ways: - To respond to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19 or its negative economic impacts, including assistance to households, small businesses, and non -profits, or to aid impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality. - Provide premium pay to eligible workers that are preforming essential work. - Provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue due to the pandemic relative to revenues collected in the most recent full fiscal year. - Make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure. The funds cannot be used to directly or indirectly offset tax reductions or delay a tax/tax increase. Nor can funds be deposited into any pension fund. Final guidance on approved uses of the funds is expected to be received in July of 2021. New information regarding uses and restrictions for ARPA funds Additional information has been released that provides better guidance on appropriate use of ARPA funds. The biggest change is in the Provision of Government Services to the Extent of Reduction in Revenue category. Updated guidance indicates that funds used under this category may only be used to restore services or projects that were reduced or eliminated due to revenue reduction caused by COVID-19. ARPA funds may not be used for new capital projects (except for broadband, water, and sewer improvements, projects within very specific parameters) or programs or expansion of existing programs beyond the COVID-19 related reductions. A nexus to the effects of 110 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 3 COVID needs to exist in order to apply ARPA funds to the service or project. Projects previously suggested for inclusion for ARPA funds that do not qualify are noted below in the appropriate section of this info memo. New information also shows that use of ARPA funds may be used to cover costs incurred beginning March 3, 2021. Ongoing vs One-time Revenues As a reminder, the Council's adopted financial policies state that one-time revenue will be used for one-time expenditures and ongoing revenue will be used for ongoing expenditures. The projects outlined below are one-time in nature as ARPA funds are a one-time funding source. Because ARPA funds may not be used for new projects or services so are more restrictive in nature, Council may need to make an exception to this policy and allow the use of ARPA funds for adding back service levels ongoing service levels until regular revenue sources return to pre -pandemic levels. DISCUSSION Information has been provided on each of the projects identified in the March 16, 2021, info memo and includes additional projects for consideration. Based on the major federal funding categories, the following are possible prioritization areas: Phase 2 Funding Priorities 1. Assistance to households, businesses and respond to impacts due to COVID-19 a. Assistance to households i. Increasing human service funding by increasing cap per household ii. Assistance for utility payments in arrears b. Assistance to businesses i. Increasing grants and support for small businesses ii. Create Economic Development Plan with a specific lens of mitigating impacts due to COVID-19 c. Impacts due to COVID-19 i. Improve community access to Council meetings by updating Chambers 2. Provision of Government Services impacted by reduction in revenues a. Capital Investments delayed or deferred i. Traffic Calming Program ii. Other Capital needs — unless a capital project was eliminated due to COVID-19 related revenue reductions, ARPA funds may not be used on new capital projects with the exception of broadband, water, and sewer projects. b. Other Service and Staffing needs 3. Investments in infrastructure a. Broadband infrastructure investment — reduce the digital divide with a focus on students and low-income residents 4. One -Time Investments for Tong -term financial health — (City will need more information to clarify eligibility and some might fit under other priorities) 111 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 4 a. Teen and Senior Center Investment — planning, design, and/or land purchase — based on updated information, this project would not qualify for ARPA funding. b. Digitizing Permit Records to better respond to public records requests — based on updated information, this project would not qualify for ARPA funding. c. Facility planning to address significant unmet needs in City facilities Detailed Discussion 1. Assistance to households, businesses and respond to impacts due to COVID-19 a. Assistance to households i. Increasing human service funding by increasing cap per household 1. Additional funding for rental and utility assistance is a potential candidate for ARPA funding. Tukwila Human Services staff continue to see a high need for rental and utility assistance. While staff is working to leverage other funding sources where applicable, staff believes that if additional funding were to be made available for rental and utility assistance, such funding should go to raise the $2,400 cap currently placed on families to assist them in wiping out extensive utility and rent arrearages. Human Services staff have worked with many families with rent arrearages in the thousands of dollars and is now experiencing many calls from families who have already hit the lifetime cap, which was raised from $700 to $2,400 to address the pandemic. ii. Assistance for utility payments in arrears 1. Staff has reached out to utility providers in Tukwila to better understand the utility arrearages in the community. Current estimates are between $1 and $2 million for all utility providers in Tukwila. Human Services and Communications staff are pushing out information on Seattle City Light and PSE's discount programs, as well as regularly referring qualified families to the LIHEAP program in order to reduce utility arrearages. The City of Seattle recently voted to continue its utility no late fees/no shut offs through the end of this calendar year, and all of the utilities staff talked with are committed to working with customers to develop payment plans moving forward. Payments would have to be made for utility customers that were impacted by COVID. b. Assistance to businesses i. Increasing grants and support for small businesses ($200,000) 1. Staff recommends setting aside $200 thousand for possible use for small business outreach, technical assistance, loans, and grants. Staff would return with a specific proposal later this year as opportunities to partner with other organizations arise. c. Create Economic Development Plan with a specific lens of mitigating impacts due to COVID-19 ($50,000 to $150,000) i. Basic Plan: This work includes hiring a consultant to conduct research, analysis, writing, graphic design, and producing a document. It would also include standard community outreach such as an online survey, a limited phone survey, and some public meetings. Estimated cost $50,000. ii. Expanded Outreach: This work includes hiring multiple community-based organizations or firms to assist with outreach to various groups based on culture, language, age, etc. It would include tailoring those contracts to work with those groups using relevant outreach methods, which could include surveys, 112 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 5 conversations, interviews, focus groups, or others. As appropriate, methods would include interpretation, translation, childcare, and participation incentives toward a goal of meaningful, not transactional, engagement. Estimated cost $50,000. iii. Improved Business Contacts Database: This purpose of this component is to improve our business contacts database which would help with outreach on the Plan as well as ongoing business outreach. This would include a combination of purchasing a software tool and contacting our businesses to update and/or collect their contact information. In the private sector the software tool would be called a customer relationship management system (CRM) and would track a company's interactions with their customers. In addition to purchasing software, staff would hire a firm to fill in the gaps and expand upon our current business license database by contacting businesses directly. Estimated start-up cost $50,000. There would be an ongoing maintenance cost but that has not yet been estimated. d. Impacts due to COVID-19 i. Improve community access to Council meetings by updating Chambers 1. Upgrading Council Chambers to Accommodate In -Person and Virtual Participation in Meetings — cost estimates ranging from $10,000- $208,000._Detailed information on this project is included in a separate info memo presented to the Finance and Governance Committee on June 14, 2021. 2. Provision of Government Services impacted by reduction in revenues a. Capital Investments delayed or deferred. i. Traffic Calming Program ($400,000 annually) 1. Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 health emergency, funding of $400 thousand had been included in the budget each year for traffic calming. At the April 26, 2021, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting, several projects were identified as priority projects. Public Works sees more value in funding several smaller projects throughout the community rather than a few large (costly) projects. Projects identified include: a. Purchase additional speed cushions and radar driver feedback signs for future deployments. ($130 thousand) b. Complete the widening of 53rd Ave S between S.137th and 52nd Ave S to restore two-way traffic. ($250 thousand) c. Provide funding for additional traffic counting services and to the NTCP on-call design contract. ($100 thousand) b. Other service and staffing needs i. Each City department has unmet staffing and resource needs due to the reductions taken in the 2021-2022 Adopted Budget. These could be funded through ARPA funds. As mentioned in previous memos, these include specific areas such permit review, street and parks, fire, and police services. 3. Investments in infrastructure 113 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 6 a. Broadband infrastructure investment - reduce the digital divide with a focus on students and low-income residents ($1 million implementation, $100,000 ongoing) i. The digital divide in the City of Tukwila was made even more apparent by the COVID-19 pandemic, which required both students and employees to go online full time, but often without the broadband needed. Tukwila is one of the most diverse cities in the nation, with over 80 languages and dialects spoken, and 41 of the population are foreign born, and 17% living in poverty. This is much higher than the Washington State poverty average of 10%. 1. The Tukwila School District is able to provide 20% of its families with mobile hotspots and 23% of families receive internet access through Comcast's Internet Essentials Program. Tukwila has been on the forefront by providing free internet access to students by developing a free City Wi-Fi program in multifamily neighborhoods, with the highest concentration of students that receive free and reduced lunch. But city leaders recognize these numbers do not add up to 100% of the families in their schools in need of access to high-speed internet, and they are committed to closing the gap. By utilizing ARPA funds, Tukwila has the opportunity to construct and deploy high speed internet to income -qualified families throughout the city. This proposed program has the opportunity to provide all families in Tukwila with the needed modern-day building blocks for our students and families to thrive. Suggested Plan for Utilizing ARPA Funds In order to maximize the use of ARPA funds, staff is recommending using these funds to restore service levels in Streets, Parks, and DCD as well as for a few one-time projects that directly benefit our communities. Much of the service levels for Streets, Parks, and DCD is for staffing and was already approved via streamlined sales tax mitigation (SST) funding. Moving these costs to ARPA, which must have a nexus to COVID reductions, will free up SST funding for other projects. In addition to staffing already authorized with SST funds, this plan would unfreeze one additional FTE in DCD, add a total of $500 thousand in funding for utility and rental assistance, restore traffic calming funds for residential streets, and restore after school programming. 2021 2022 2023 2024 Total Parks & Rec Staff - See SST Memo 128,000 150,000 150,000 150,000 578,000 Street Staff - See SST Memo 162,000 171,000 174,000 178,000 685,000 SCORE 150,000 150,000 Business Assistance 200,000 200,000 Utility/Rental Assistance 500,000 500,000 After School Program 84,000 170,000 170,000 170,000 594,000 Traffic Calming 400,000 400,000 400,000 400,000 1,600,000 Upgrade Council Chambers 200,000 200,000 DCD Staff - See SST Memo 187,000 240,000 240,000 240,000 907,000 Economic Development Plan 150,000 150,000 Total 2,161,000 1,131,000 1,134,000 1,138,000 5,564,000 114 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 7 The proposed plan leaves a little over $200 thousand unallocated to services and projects that can be allocated to other Council priorities. It is important to note that while the use of these funds do restore some service levels, it does not restore all services to pre -pandemic levels. Frozen positions still remain in other departments, including Police and TIS. Departmental budgets, in general still remain extremely tight and do not have room to absorb unplanned, necessary expenditures. Staff is looking for direction from the Committee on which projects additional information is needed, if items should be removed from the above list, or added to it. At the August 9, 2021, Committee meeting, requests for additional information were made to staff. Some of the requests for more information included traffic calming projects, utility and rental assistance, assistance to businesses, community connectors, and the proposed economic development plan, among other items. Committee Review Process June -September 2021 Since mid-June, the Finance & Governance Committee conducted detailed analysis of this information over the course of multiple meetings, asking questions and requesting additional presentations on programs including business assistance, rent/utility assistance, afterschool programming, SCORE, Neighborhood Traffic Calming, and Community Connectors. Following the September 13, 2021, discussion the Committee agreed to forward the proposal to the Committee of the Whole for full Council discussion. Equity A recurring theme in committee discussions was the importance of centering equity and for staff to more clearly explain how the City's commitment to equity is reflected in the funding proposals. The City's Equity Policy requires that equity must serve as a core value for all long-term City plans while recognizing the disparities that exist and how historic and current factors have contributed. The funding proposal for ARPA includes programming intended to address disparities and improve the quality of life for lower income and traditionally disadvantaged community members. Examples include: Council Chamber Upgrade: Funding technology improvements for the City Council Chamber to allow hybrid meetings (combining remote and in-person attendance) will benefit the community by providing more equitable access to local government. Tukwila has seen significantly increased attendance at virtual public meetings and this should continue as an option going forward. Parks Staffing: The pandemic elevated the importance of outdoor recreation and socializing, and as a result park usage has been very high throughout our community. The additional staffing authorized in Phase 1 of service restoration was intended for park maintenance. Providing clean, safe and accessible parks has a direct impact to quality of life for our residents. 115 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 8 Restoration of Before & After School Programming & Enrichment: The Parks & Recreation Department's before and after school programming has been a popular necessity for Tukwila families, with most participating for free due to family income. This service provides families with crucial support to accommodate working parents as well as a la carte enrichment programming in a variety of areas. Economic Development Plan: The proposal includes an expanded outreach strategy specifically to assist various groups based on cultural needs, including interpretation, translation, childcare and participation incentives. Business Assistance: Funding would go toward assisting small businesses with COVID recovery in the form of technical aid, loans, or grants, and could leverage partnerships with other organizations. Utility/Rent Assistance: Additional funding for Human Services would go toward increasing the rental and utility assistance cap per household, as well as provide assistance for utility payments in arrears. Community Connectors: Funding would bring back the Community Connectors program in 2022, in a new format. Staff recently provided the Community Services & Safety Committee an update on the newly proposed program, which focuses on civic capacity building in historically underserved communities. Updated Staff Proposal Reflecting 2021 and 2022 Only The chart below shows only the current biennium and has been updated to reflect projected timing of expenditures. Most funding allocated for utility and rental assistance has been shifted to 2022 as well as costs associated with upgrading the Council chambers, business assistance, and the economic development plan. Amounts reflects for the restoration for staffing in Parks, Street, and Community Development departments are estimates only. ARPA requires the City to fully document actuals so the actual costs of these positions may be a bit higher or lower, depending on actual hours worked, among other benefit costs. In addition to the above proposals for ARPA funds, staff is also requesting authority to hire temporary staff to track and report on ARPA spending. Over the last several months it has become apparent that the tracking and record keeping required for these projects to meet federal requirements is very time consuming and capacity does not exist with current staffing levels to meet this requirement. Need for additional staffing would only last as long as ARPA funds are actively being spent and for final close out reporting. Staff also proposes using ARPA funds to cover the cost of increasing minimum staffing for the Fire Department to 13. Estimated costs for minimum staffing specific to the 13th position through the end of August is $168 thousand. 116 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 9 2021 2022 Total * Parks Staff 80,000 160,000 240,000 * Street Staff 167,500 335,000 502,500 * DCD Staff 125,000 300,000 425,000 * Rec Program (Summer Camp) 50,000 100,000 150,000 * DarkTrace - Cyber Security 25,000 25,000 50,000 After School Program 84,000 170,000 254,000 Business Assistance 10,000 190,000 200,000 Utility/Rental Assistance 500,000 500,000 Traffic Calming 100,000 400,000 500,000 Upgrade Council Chambers 10,000 208,000 218,000 SCORE 150,000 - 150,000 Fire Minimum Staffing 225,000 300,000 525,000 Community Connectors - 25,000 25,000 ARPA Financial Analyst - 160,000 160,000 Total 1,026,500 2,873,000 3,899,500 * See SST Memo dated March 16, 2021 Direction provided by City Council on use of ARPA funds for 2021 and 2022 will be included in the upcoming budget amendments. 117 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 10 New information after October 11, 2021, Committee of the Whole Meeting The chart below reflects the ARPA funding category the expenditure would fall under. 2021 2022 Total ARPA Funding Category 1 Parks Staff 2 Street Staff 3 DCD Staff 4 Rec Program (Summer Camp) 5 DarkTrace - Cyber Security 6 After School Program 7 Business Assistance 8 Utility/Rental Assistance 9 Traffic Calming 10 Upgrade Council Chambers 11 SCORE 12 Fire Minimum Staffing 13 Community Connectors 14 ARPA Financial Analyst Total See SST Memo dated March 16, 2021 80,000 167,500 125,000 50,000 25,000 84,000 10,000 100,000 10,000 150,000 225,000 160,000 335,000 300,000 100,000 25,000 170,000 190,000 500,000 400,000 208,000 300,000 25,000 160,000 240,000 502,500 425,000 150,000 50,000 254,000 200,000 500,000 500,000 218,000 150,000 525,000 25,000 160,000 1,026,500 2,873,000 3,899,500 Revenue Loss, Government Services Revenue Loss, Government Services Revenue Loss, Government Services Revenue Loss, Government Services Revenue Loss, Government Services Revenue Loss, Government Services Public Health and Negative Economic Impacts Assistance to businesses, households Revenue Loss, Government Services Public Health and negative Economic Impacts Revenue Loss, Government Services Revenue Loss, Government Services Revenue Loss, Government Services Public Health and Negative Economic Impacts 1. Unfreeze the maintenance & operation superintendent position but replace with 2 0.75 FTE maintenance technicians; increasing upkeep on parks. 2022 would include increasing 1 staff an additional 0.25 FTE (Consensus given at the May 10, 2021 Committee of the Whole to include in upcoming budget amendment, per discussion with Finance & Governance on August 9, 2021, change from use of SST to use of ARPA funds) 2. Unfreeze maintenance & operations Specialist and Maintenance Technician, and add back $37k in extra labor; increasing upkeep on streets, sidewalks, and bus stops as well as increased graffiti clean up (Consensus given at the May 10, 2021 Committee of the Whole to include in upcoming budget amendment, per discussion with Finance & Governance on August 9, 2021, change from use of SST to use of ARPA funds) 3. Unfreeze associate planner and senior plans examiner to increase permit review capacity in the planning and building divisions. Unfreeze code enforcement officer who is being cross trained to provide general code enforcement as well as support the rental housing program (Consensus given at the May 10, 2021 Committee of the Whole to include in upcoming budget amendment, per discussion with Finance & Governance on August 9, 2021, change from use of SST to use of ARPA funds) 4. Restore Camp Tukwilly and Teen Venture Camp; highly requested programs (Consensus given at the August 2, 2021 Regular meeting to include in upcoming budget amendment) 5. Restoration of funding for DarkTrace for critical information technology infrastructure that scans for, and disrupts, security breaches such as phishing, ransomware, and other threats (Consensus given at the May 10, 2021 Committee 118 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 11 of the Whole to include in upcoming budget amendment, per discussion with Finance & Governance on August 9, 2021, change from use of SST to use of ARPA funds) 6. Restores the After School Program and Youth & Teen Enrichment programs. Programs run 4 months in 2021 and 9 months in 2022 (Consensus given at the August 2, 2021 Regular meeting to include in upcoming budget amendment) 7. Increase grants and support for small businesses with a specific lens of mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 8. Provide rental and utility assistance to households affected by the pandemic 9. Traffic Calming restores funding for projects to reduce vehicle speeds and accidents on residential streets. Details on proposed projects were presented to the Transportation & Infrastructure Services Committee on August 23, 2021 and Finance & Governance Committee on September 13, 2021, and the project list is attached here. 10. Upgrades Council Chambers as well as conference rooms to accommodate hybrid meetings allowing more people to participate in public meetings. 11. As one of six owner cities of SCORE, the City is financially obligated to ensure adequate funding for the facility. Because of COVID-19, SCORE decreased inmate population significantly to allow adequate availability for owner cities while maintaining a safe and healthy environment. This action decreased contract revenue. All other owner cities are in the process of, or have approved, use of ARPA funds for SCORE 12. Funds Fire Department overtime to achieve minimum staffing from 12 to 13 13. Community Connectors, in a new format, would be funded in 2022 and would focus on civic capacity building in historically undeserved communities 14.ARPA Financial Analyst would be a temporary position dedicated to monitoring, tracking, and reporting on ARPA funds. Projects Removed from ARPA Funding Early guidance suggested that the use of ARPA funds would be less restrictive and several projects were included in the initial list for consideration by the Finance & Governance Committee. As new guidance emerged, the project list was updated and several projects were removed as it became clear that they were not an eligible expenditure. Some of the projects that were removed from the list include: • Capital project funding for the Teen and Senior Center • digitizing permit records to better respond to public records requests • Other capital needs not in the broadband, water, or sewer categories • facility planning to address significant unmet needs in City facilities 119 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 12 Details of the projects that were removed can be found in the info memo dated June 14, 2021 and discussed at the August 9, 2021 Finance & Governance Committee meeting. The City Attorney has reviewed the proposed use of ARPA funds and confirmed on October 14, 2021 that she found them to be consistent with the Treasury funding objectives and guidance. RECOMMENDATION Staff is now seeking Council direction on the proposal for the use of ARPA funds which will be incorporated into the 2021-2022 budget amendment. Funding for 2023-2024 will be addressed and confirmed via the biennial budget development process. ATTACHMENTS • Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Eligible Use FAQs • Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program Top 10 Recommended Projects 120 Coronavirus State & Loca Question Guidance Review Source/Reference in Treasury Guidance Although the eligible uses of payments from the Fiscal Recovery Funds are all prospective in nature, Treasury considers the beginning of the covered period for purposes of determining compliance with section 602(c)(2)(A) to be the relevant reference point for this purpose. The Interim Final Rule thus permits funds to be used to cover costs incurred beginning on March 3, 2021. What is the covered period for all See p. 27 of the However, with respect to premium pay the definition clarifies that provisions? Interim Final Rule premium pay may be provided retrospectively for work performed at any time since the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency, where those workers have yet to be compensated adequately for work previously performed. Treasury encourages recipients to prioritize providing retrospective premium pay where possible, recognizing that many essential workers have not yet received additional compensation for work conducted over the course of many months. a) 4— CO 0 c LO LL m E cn - Use of funds. • In General. A recipient may only use funds to cover costs incurred Do funds have to be expended by during the period beginning March 3, 2021, and ending December December 31, 2024 or obligated by 31, 2024, for one or more of the purposes enumerated in sections December 31, 2024? 602(c)(1) and 603(c)(1) of the Social Security Act, as applicable, including those enumerated in section § 35.6 of this subpart, subject to the restrictions set forth in sections 602(c)(2) and 603(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, as applicable. 121 122 Question Guidance Review Source/Reference in Treasury Guidance In the context of using funds for administrative purposes, FAQ 10.2 states, "Recipients may use funds to cover the portion of payroll and Tracking all of this will take a lot of benefits of employees corresponding to time spent on administrative time. Can we use the funds towards work necessary due to the COVID-19 public health emergency and its See question 10.2 in Treasury's FAQ administrative costs? negative economic impacts. This includes, but is not limited to, costs related to disbursing payments of Fiscal Recovery Funds and managing new grant programs established using Fiscal Recovery Funds". What personal information is required to submit the request? Do The majority of GFOA members have noted most often SSN, driver's you have to provide a scan of your license and facial scan. driver's license to ID.me? Treasury has not provided guidance on the investment of these proceeds and how investment earnings may be spent. GFOA will be commenting on this in response to the IFR to the US Treasury. Treasury has noted that CRF rules apply in ARPA circumstances (except See question 10.3 in for covered payroll). Treasury is not specific on where and how to Treasury's FAQ place funds. However, GFOA recommends refraining from spending investment earnings until we hear definitive guidance on whether it is subject to the ARPA regulations or not. The two can be different. The administrator of the accounts is simply the person who is administrative responsible for receiving communications from the treasury and dispatching as necessary. Please click here. Can the funds be invested? If so, can the investment revenue be transferred to the General Fund? Does the person that request funds through the Treasury's portal also need to be listed in our SAM.gov account? Or can it be someone different? Where can we find the Census data? 123 Questions on Section A: Public Health and Negative Economic Impacts 124 Guidance Review Source/Reference in Treasury Guidance Use of Fiscal Recovery Funds is generally forward looking. The Interim Final Rule permits funds to be used to cover costs See question 2.7 in Treasury's FAQ incurred beginning on March 3, 2021. Generally, funding uses eligible under CRF as a response to the direct public health impacts of COVID-19 will continue to be eligible under CSFRF/CLFRF, with the following two exceptions: (1) the standard for eligibility of public health and See question 2.2 in safety payrolls has been updated; and (2) expenses related to Treasury's FAQ the issuance of tax -anticipation notes are not an eligible funding use. Services and programs to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 including: • Vaccination program • Medical expenses • Testing • Contact tracing • Isolation or quarantine See page 3 of v CD s V) +-, v to LL N > N (a L1 Question Can funds be used to reimburse recipients for costs incurred prior to the enactment of the American Rescue Plan in terms of costs associated with responding to the pandemic and its negative economic impacts? May recipients presume the use of funds allowable under the Coronavirus Relief Fund to respond to the pandemic are also allowed under the CSLFRF? What are considered eligible expenditures in rnrrn rrl to rnntnin in rr lmitirrmti nn tl,n cnrnnrl of Question Guidance Review Source/Reference in Treasury Guidance • Support for prevention, mitigation, or other services in congregate living facilities and schools • Enhancement of public health data systems • Capital investments in public facilities to meet pandemic operational needs • Ventilation improvements in key settings like healthcare facilities Yes. Payroll and covered benefits expenses for public health, healthcare, human services, public safety and similar employees, to the extent that they work on the COVID-19 See page 4 of response. For public health and safety workers, recipients Treasury's Fact Sheet can use these funds to cover the full payroll and covered benefits costs for employees or operating units or divisions primarily dedicated to the COVID-19 response. Yes. Services to address behavioral healthcare needs exacerbated by the pandemic include: • Mental health treatment • Substance misuse treatment See page 4 of h Treasury's Fact Sheet See p. 9 of the Interim Final Rule b • Ot er eh avioraIh eaIth services • Hotlines or warmlines • Crisis intervention • Services or outreach to promote access to health and social services Assistance to households or populations facing negative economic impacts due to COVID-19 is also an eligible use. This includes: food assistance; rent, mortgage, or utility Can recipients claim public health and public safety payroll costs with the funds? Can funds be used for mental health services? What community programs can the funding be used for? (e.g. innovative assistance) 125 Question Guidance Review Source/Reference in Treasury Guidance assistance; counseling and legal aid to prevent eviction or homelessness; cash assistance; emergency assistance for burials, home repairs, weatherization, or other needs; internet access or digital literacy assistance; or job training to address negative economic or public health impacts experienced due to a worker's occupation or level of training. What about ventilation for a public building? Ventilation improvements in congregate settings is an eligible See question 2.1 in use under Section A. Treasury's FAQ Can we apply funds to transit since it provides Emergency medical response expenses, including emergency See p. 36 of the medical transportation related to COVID-19" is an eligible access to medical/public health services? Interim Final Rule expense under Section A. IFR p. 10-11 addresses investing in Housing and Neighborhoods to build stronger communities as an eligible use of the funds under Section. A. This is in the context of addressing those disproportionately impacted by the Can the funds be used to deposit into aSee p. 10-11 of the housing fund? pandemic. It is not clear if storing funds in a housing fund is Interim Final Rule eligible, however, funds may be used on services to address homelessness, affordable housing development, housing vouchers, residential counseling, or housing navigation assistance. See p. 6 of the Interim Final Rule In the context of responding to the public health emergency, an emergency operations center would be an eligible use under Section A. "State, local, and Tribal governments may use payments from the Fiscal Recovery Funds to engage in planning and analysis in order to improve programs addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, including through use of targeted consumer Under mitigating COVID-19, would building an EOC or updating tech in an existing EOC be eligible? Are planning processes or development of resilience plans an eligible use for addressing socioeconomic disparities? 126 Question Guidance Review Source/Reference in Treasury Guidance outreach, improvements to data or technology infrastructure, impact evaluations, and data analysis," (IFR p. 6). Staffing is an eligible expense under the condition it is related to COVID-19. Therefore, hiring additional staff to assist with Can funds be used to hire additional staff to the administration of the funds would be an eligible use. See p. 10 of the help with administration of these funds? Please note staff can only be hired up to the government's Interim Final Rule pre -pandemic level of staffing (number of employees employed on January 27, 2020). See p. 16 and 36 of the Interim Final Rule See p. 6 of the Interim Final Rule See question 2.7 in Treasury's FAQ Sanitation equipment is an eligible use. Under Section A, "Expenses related to COVID-19 vaccination programs and Can we use the funds for the purchase of sites, including staffing, acquisition of equipment or supplies, sanitation equipment (garbage trucks) and/or facilities costs, and information technology or other public safety equipment (police and fire administrative expenses," (IFR p. 36) vehicles)? Public safety equipment is an eligible use. Under Section C, government services include the provision of police, fire, and other public safety services. (IFR p. 16). "For administrative convenience, the recipient may consider Can the funds be used to cover the payroll and public health and safety employees to be entirely devoted to benefit costs for all public safety police mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 public health officers or is it only if they were assigned to emergency, and therefore fully covered, if the employee, or his or her operating unit or division, is primarily dedicated to pandemic tasks? responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency," (IFR p. 6). Is Negative Economic Impact limited to That is correct. expenditures beginning 3/3/2021? 127 Questions on Section B: Premium Pay 128 Source/Reference in Treasury Guidance See p. 13 of the Interim Final Rule See question 5.3 in Treasury's FAQ E w yr C N L ,- 0 0 N Q 4J w. (n N CC (C LC .L See p. 32 of the Interim Final Rule Guidance Review PREMIUM PAY —The term 'premium pay' means an amount of up to $13 per hour that is paid to an eligible worker, in addition to wages or remuneration the eligible worker otherwise receives, for all work performed by the eligible worker during the COVID- 19 public health emergency. Such amount may not exceed $25,000 with respect to any single eligible worker. Yes. Treasury encourages recipients to consider providing premium pay retroactively for work performed during the pandemic, recognizing that many essential workers have not yet received additional compensation for their service during the pandemic. January 27, 2020 is the date referenced as the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Such workers include: • Staff at nursing homes, hospitals, and home -care settings • Workers at farms, food production facilities, grocery stores, and restaurants • Janitors and sanitation workers • Public health and safety staff • Truck drivers, transit staff, and warehouse workers • Childcare workers, educators, and school staff • Social service and human services staff The interim final rule requires that "eligible workers have regular in-person interactions or regular physical handling of items that were also handled by others. This requirement will also help Question What is the definition of premium pay? Can Premium Pay be applied retroactively? If so, how far back can we go to retro premium pay? Who would be considered eligible workers for premium pay? Would positions like payroll, AP, IT, covid team be eligible for premium pay since they are essential to our 129 E4.1 L /0 V 0 c V 0 u N c 0 I 0 :71 N 130 Source/Reference in Treasury Guidance See p. 15 of the Interim Final Rule In calculating revenue loss, recipients will look at general revenue in the Is my revenue loss calculated in aggregate, rather than on a source -by -source basis. Given that See p. 31 of the Interim the aggregate? Or by recipients may have experienced offsetting changes in revenues across Final Rule fund/source? sources, Treasury's approach provides a more accurate representation of the effect of the pandemic on overall revenues. E .L w c w q- 0 L.11°J 0 1.L Guidance Review Base Year Revenue is the recipient's general revenue for the most recent full fiscal year prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Recipients should calculate the extent of the reduction in revenue as of four points in time: December 31, 2020; December 31, 2021; December 31, 2022; and December 31, 2023. To calculate the extent of the reduction in revenue at each of these dates, recipients should follow a four -step process: • Step 1: Identify revenues collected in the most recent full fiscal year prior to the public health emergency (i.e., last full fiscal year before January 27, 2020), called the base year revenue. • Step 2: Estimate counterfactual revenue, which is equal to base year revenue * [(1 + growth adjustment) A( n/12)], where n is the number of months elapsed since the end of the base year to the calculation date, and growth adjustment is the greater of 4.1 percent and the recipient's average annual revenue growth in the three full fiscal years prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency. • Step 3: Identify actual revenue, which equals revenues collected over the past twelve months as of the calculation date. Question What is the fiscal year baseline? 4-, V) 0 E v c L i V CU o O v — v 0 in IS U_ Ta 0 D 2 Q Question Guidance Review Source/Reference in Treasury Guidance • Step 4: The extent of the reduction in revenue is equal to counterfactual revenue less actual revenue. If actual revenue exceeds counterfactual revenue, the extent of the reduction in revenue is set to zero for that calculation date. GFOA has created an Excel template for members to use. GFOA Members Only Please Note: Inputs are consistent with the 2006 Census of ARPA Revenue Governments Classification Manual and all governments' calculations Replacement Calculator may be subject to US Treasury audit. E 'L • Qi a--+ c CD a--, n 0 QJ . CL 0 - QJ CO QJ .c N IL - Government services can include, but are not limited to, maintenance or pay -go funded building of infrastructure, including roads; modernization of cybersecurity, including hardware, software, and protection of critical infrastructure; health services; environmental remediation; school or educational services; and the provision of police, fire, and other public safety services. However, expenses associated with obligations under instruments evidencing financial indebtedness for borrowed money would not be considered the provision of government services, as these financing expenses do not directly provide services or aid to citizens. Specifically, government services would not include interest or principal on any outstanding debt instrument, including, for example, short-term revenue or tax anticipation notes, or fees or issuance costs associated with the issuance of new debt. For the same reasons, government services would not include satisfaction of any obligation arising under or pursuant to a settlement agreement, judgment, consent decree, or judicially confirmed debt Are there any resources to help with calculating revenue loss? 0) C v v �' L v 2, 0 .� v N O 0 c = QJ CU O V) a a 1.11 c _ o a) C E C 3 c u O i ro > _ t 0 C OAO 131 Question Guidance Review Source/Reference in Treasury Guidance restructuring in a judicial, administrative, or regulatory proceeding, except if the judgment or settlement required the provision of government services. That is, satisfaction of a settlement or judgment itself is not a government service, unless the settlement required the provision of government services. In addition, replenishing financial reserves (e.g., rainy day or other reserve funds) would not be considered provision of a government service, since such expenses do not directly relate to the provision of government services. No. Expenses related to financing, including servicing or redeeming notes, would not address the needs of pandemic response or its negative economic impacts. Such expenses would also not be considered provision of government services, as these financing See question 4.3 in expenses do not directly provide services or aid to citizens. This applies Treasury's FAQ to paying interest or principal on any outstanding debt instrument, including, for example, short-term revenue or tax anticipation notes, or paying fees or issuance costs associated with the issuance of new debt. v t v +, `0 CC 0 N ctl C iz E ci .E a) 4(12 v c N — • For replacement of lost revenues: Government services can include, but are not limited to, maintenance or pay -go funded building123 of infrastructure, including roads; modernization of cybersecurity, including hardware, software, and protection of critical infrastructure; health services; environmental remediation; school or educational services; and the provision of police, fire, and other public safety services. • Statutory allowances for infrastructure include assisting in meeting the critical need for investments and improvements to existing infrastructure in water, sewer, and broadband, the Fiscal Recovery Funds provide funds to State, local, and Tribal governments to make necessary investments in these sectors. Can funds be used to pay for debt services/interest? 4) L_ 0 U L }I N co L 4— C M1• 4- O v v, N N > o_ O >, U + J w f6 L C 0 U 132 Questions on Section D: Water, Sewer, and Broadband Infrastructure Question Guidance Review Source/Reference in Treasury Guidance See question 4.2 in Treasury's FAQ See p. 18 of the Interim Final Rule Recipients may use funds for maintenance of infrastructure or pay -go spending for building of new infrastructure as part of the general provision of government services, to the extent of the estimated reduction in revenue due to the public health emergency. A general infrastructure project typically would not be considered a response to the public health emergency and its negative economic impacts unless the project responds to a specific pandemic -related public health need (e.g., investments in facilities for the delivery of vaccines) or a specific negative economic impact of the pandemic (e.g., affordable housing in a Qualified Census Tract). With respect to wastewater infrastructure, recipients may use Fiscal Recovery Funds to construct publicly owned treatment infrastructure, manage and treat stormwater or subsurface drainage water, facilitate water reuse, and secure publicly owned treatment works, among other uses. Can funds be used to invest in infrastructure OTHER THAN water, sewer, and broadband projects such as roads and public facilities? Can funds be used to invest in stormwater infrastructure? 133 134 Staff Top -10 Recommended NTCP Projects 135 Project Details Potential Treatment Options Estimated Cost Range A Allentown Neighborhood Speed and Since 2018, five individual requests for traffic calming have been recorded in the NTCP list of requests; however, traffic complaints have been Safety Study made to the City over prior years. Addressing traffic safety concerns in Allentown is a top priority for the City. Study neighborhood -wide volume, speed, classification and safety issues. Design plan for Level 1 and Level 2 treatments throughout Allentown. Level 1: Improved signage; radar feedback signs; pavement marking modifications Level 2: Curb extensions $50,000-80,000 B Tukwila Elementary School Safety Since 2018, 12 traffic calming requests have been made in the Cascade View neighborhood, with a significant number of them near Tukwila Improvements Elementary School. Common complaints have been over speeding and crosswalk or pedestrian safety. Additionally, the Council has asked for proactively addressing or anticipating concerns, specifically around school zones. Some improvements have been made around Tukwila Elementary School already but more improvements are needed. Address speeding and crosswalk safety concerns. Level 1: Improved signage; radar feedback signs; pavement marking modifications $30,000-80,000 Level 2: Curb extensions; RRFB installation; ADA ramp upgrades; improved illumination C Impact Charter School Safety A request specific to the newly opened Impact Charter School was received in 2019. The request was to provide a signed school zone, which Improvements Tukwila has provided along with signs marking school crossings on 5 148th Street. ADA -compliant ramps have not been installed at the marked school crossings. The charter school has expanded their site to the north with a need for consideration of a school zone on 5 146th Street and other potential improvements for children's safety. Additionally, the Council has asked for proactively addressing or anticipating concerns, specifically around school zones. Provide school crossing improvements, establish school zone on S 146th Street, if needed. Provide school crossing improvements, observe operating speeds, if necessary establish speed zone. Level 1: Improved signage for school zones on S 148th Street and S 146th Street; crosswalk installation Level 2: ADA ramp improvements; curb extensions $8,000-15,000 D Cascade View Elementary School Safety Since 2018, the Tukwila Hill neighborhood has seen 9 requests for traffic calming. Four of the locations are around the speeding, school Improvements crossing and pedestrian safety around the Cascade View Elementary School. 85th Percentile speeds of ^30MPH in the 25MPH zones have been recorded, but analysis to separate whether the speeding is even more than the posted school zone has not been done. Additionally, the Council has asked for proactively addressing or anticipating concerns, specifically around school zones. Upgrade School Zone signing, design and install pedestrian crossing improvements. Level 1: Improved signage for school zones on S 148th Street and S 146th Street; crosswalk installation $8,000-15,000 Level 2: ADA ramp improvements; curb extensions E Tukwila Community Center Pedestrian The City Council has expressed desire for the NTCP to have a proactive element in addressing traffic calming and safety needs throughout the Crossing Safety Improvements City. The TCC is a well -utilized facility by the Allentown neighborhood as well as the entire City and surrounding area. Concerns over the pedestrian crossings on S 124th Street have been raised by staff and residents in the past, along with the larger complaints of speeding in Allentown. Increasing pedestrian visibility to improve safety in this high -use area is a recommended top priority for the NTCP. Design and install mid -block pedestrian safety improvements on S 124th Street. Level 1: Improve pedestrian crossing signage Level 2: RRFB installations; upgrade ADA ramps; curb extensions; improved illumination $80,000-100,000 F Macadam Road Speed and Safety At least five requests for traffic calming, specific to speeding (and some secondary reasons) have been made since 2018. A radar feedback Improvements sign was placed near the 13700 block in 2019 but requests have continued to be made. Additional analysis is warranted to determine what other improvements could be used to address the speeding, especially where Macadam has extremely limited sight distance due to the curvy nature of the roadway. Design and install treatments addressing speeding and curve safety north of S 144th Street. Level 1: Improved signage; LED chevron signs; channelization modifications $10,000 - 30,000 Level 2: G Southcenter Boulevard/65th Avenue S Staff identified the need for improvement pedestrian safety at this location several years ago. Southcenter Boulevard is a 5 -lane roadway Pedestrian Safety Improvements with known speeding issues along with curves that restrict sight distance. A high pedestrian usage at this intersection accessing the King County Metro bus stop that services both the Rapid Ride F -Line and Route 150, both workhorses of the south County transit network, justifies improving pedestrian crossing safety. This intersection is slated for full signalization in the future, but interim pedestrian safety improvements should be considered sooner. Design and install pedestrian safety improvements Level 1: Improved signage for pedestrian crossing $50,000-$90,000 Level 2: RRFB installation; ADA ramp upgrades; improved illumination H City-wide Residential Speed Limit Review As part of the City Council's expressed desire to proactively look at traffic calming needs, a full review of the residential street posted speed limits is recommended by staff. State law establishes city speed limits at 25MPH unless an engineering study is completed to justify higher speed limits. Most residential streets are posted at 25MPH today, but there are many that are posted at 30MPH or 35MPH. Likely, those speed limits are legacies of past annexation areas, where a speed study was completed by King County. The general impression Staff has is that most residents and elected officials would be happier with lower speed limits. City of Seattle has also recently lowered all speed limits nearly city-wide to be 25MPH. Identify residential streets with speed limits currently above 25MPH. Conduct volume, speed and safety review. Level 1: Modify speed limit ordinance; as needed; install new signs; as needed. $5,000-8,000 Recommend changes to speed limits, as necessary. Level 2: I S Ryan Way Pedestrian Safety Two requests for traffic calming to address speeding and pedestrian crossing safety in the Ryan Hill area have been made in 2021. New Improvements developments are coming forward that will increase the residential population of this part of the City with multi family developments. The speed concerns, especially along S Ryan Way, coupled with the new housing developments increasing the likelihood of increased pedestrian activity, warrants this analysis be recommended as a top priority. Safety study on S Ryan Way from MLK Jr. Way to east city limits, focusing on speeding and pedestrian safety. Level 1: Improved signage Level 2: Curb extension, improved illumination $10,000-100,000 Recommend Level 1 and Level 2 improvements. Design and construct improvements. 1 S 144th Street/46th Avenue S ADA Ramps The Tukwila School District requested school crossing safety improvements at this intersection in 2017. A new Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon was installed in early 2019. At the time the RRFB was installed, the City was also submitting a grant application for the 46th Avenue 5 Safe Routes to School project, which would improve pedestrian safety between this intersection south to 5 150th Street, and would include either a raised pedestrian crosswalk at the RRFB or install ADA -compliant curb ramps. The grant was not awarded. State law requires ADA ramps be brought up to current standards anytime a new signal, including the RRFB, is installed. Since grant monies for the larger improvement are not expected in the short term, staff recommends this as a priority to comply with all state and federal laws regarding Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Design and install ADA -compliant ramps at the intersection. Level 1: Level 2: ADA upgrades to ramps at RRFB (not done at time of RRFB installation due to budget constraints) $15,000-20,000 Total Cost Range $266,000 - 538,000 135