County releases proposed ARPA guidelines

A public hearing is coming up next month for proposed rules that the county will use to guide distribution of the remaining $200,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding left in its coffers, as well as the second installment of just under a quarter million dollars that’s expected later this year.

The county has been working to devise an application process for entities with projects they believe are eligible for pandemic-related funding. Now available for public viewing are the application form, certification form, checklist, eligible expenses guide, invoice and voucher.

The public hearing has been scheduled to occur during the regular meeting of the Crook County Commissioners on April 5 at 4 p.m. Comments both oral and written will be considered on the requirements for both requesting and awarding the funding.

If approved, these requirements will be used to allocate the funds before the December, 2024 deadline.

The proposed application form will ask basic questions about the public or private organization requesting funds, as well as for a description of the number of people the request would benefit. Applicants will be asked to justify their proposed project within the parameters of the ARPA rules, and to detail what other private and public sources of funding have been pursued.

Requests can come from governmental agencies, such as the offices within the courthouse, but can also come from outside parties, such as nonprofits or other county entities. ARPA funding has been allocated to the county through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program, which is delivering $350 billion to state, local and tribal governments to support their response to and recovery from the pandemic.

The final rules for the program will take effect on April 1. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has said the intention is to provide “substantial flexibility” for each jurisdiction to meet local needs within four eligible use categories.

These categories include replacing lost public sector revenue, supporting the COVID-19 public health and economic response, providing premium pay for workers performing essential work and investing in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.

More than two thirds of the first installment has already been spent. Projects funded so far include premium pay of $200 per month for county staff who worked through the pandemic; repair work for the sewer line at the county library and the plumbing in the jail; an E-911 system; and a new communications tower for emergency service radios.

The draft documents can all be viewed on the county website.