LOCK HAVEN - Earlier this year, Clinton County received just over $3.7 million in the first of two annual installments of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The board of commissioners intend on budgeting a portion of the ARPA to cover revenue loss and county initiatives in response to the COVID pandemic.
"The county received just over seven million dollars in America Rescue Plan Act Funds this year. It is a two-year payment. So in 2021, we received just over $3.4 million and the commissioners worked together to start budgeting that money. Some of those funds will be used for county needs and for losses in the county due to the COVID pandemic," said commissioner Angela Harding at Monday's work session.
Other funds will be used to improve online capabilities.
"We will be using funds to modernize our online capabilities for the community so that more information can be accessed from home," said Chairman Miles Kessinger. "We have some hardware that is dated and doesn't offer the expanded access that newer equipment and programs give."
Kessinger explained that current technology will need to be replaced eventually and in order to prevent a tax increase the county needs to cover revenue losses and plan for the future.
One of the approved uses is providing grants in the community following the guidelines set forth by the Federal Government. The commissioners agreed to start that process with what they are calling "ARPA Phase One."
This initial phase will be available to municipalities, public authorities, and non-profits. These entities will be able to apply for one of two categories: water and sewer, infrastructure or recreation projects, both federally approved uses of funds.
"Municipalities are also receiving ARPA funds and many have infrastructure projects that need upgrades," said Vice Chairman Jeff Snyder. "If we can compliment their ARPA funds with some additional funding that will help them complete those projects, the county is all the better for it. We'd like to see municipalities and authorities complete bigger, sustainable projects rather than using the funds on smaller, less impactful projects because they didn't have enough funding."
The whole purpose of starting Phase One with municipalities and townships, Harding said, is because each of them have already been awarded ARPA funds. She said that each municipality/township received a different amount of funds based on calculations conducted and decided by the federal government.
"Rather than see our municipalities and townships kind of nickel and dime the money to fall into the categories that are approved for the funding, we wanted to possibly help supplement some of those projects so that we have more impactful use of those funds in the county rather than using them for smaller projects that won't have as much success," Harding continued. "That grant program will be through the AmpliFund site that we used for our CARES funding back in 2020."
Grant applications regarding recreation projects are required to provide a direct response to negative economic impacts from the coronavirus emergency and/or are related to public health and/or improve the environment.
"One thing the pandemic has taught us is that interest in recreation is growing. There are a lot of projects in process and many opportunities to expand or develop recreational amenities and opportunities in Clinton County," said Harding.
The Clinton County Planning Department has prepared an online grant application. The portal will open on Sept. 21, 2021 and remain open through Nov. 1, 2021.
According to County Planner, Katie de Silva, the application is user friendly and the portal on the county website offers more details regarding eligibility and requirements.
County Grants Administrator, Kari Kepler encourages anyone with questions to contact her office for assistance. All applications will be accepted electronically, however if an applicant lacks resources or needs help, Kepler will schedule an appointment to assist in the process.
"On our county website, there will be more information and requirements for folks who are interested in applying for those funds. We would like to have all of the applications be done electronically but we do recognize that some municipalities may not have the ability to do that. Therefore, if there are questions or (people) don't have the ability to fill it out electronically online, we would ask that you call and make an appointment with our planning office. Kari would be happy to sit down with you and go through the application here at the county building, so that all of the information for the application is all in one nice tidy little place online. It makes it a lot easier for the planning staff to sort through those and out together a report to give back to us for review," Harding said.
Kessinger added that they have already received about three to four letters from different municipalities requesting funding. He said that even if a municipality/township has sent a letter, they will still need to go through the digital application process on the AmpliFund website in order to have it on record. The grant process will be open for six weeks, he said.
"The rules change almost weekly on these funds. They still haven't released the final regulations on these funds and they have been out there for several months now. I don't what they are doing, I'm not sure if they know what they are doing since it seems to change on a weekly basis," Kessinger continued
Harding added that the Clinton County Commissioners are "pretty confident that those two uses of funds will be continued to be applicable for the money."
