Town of Monterey issued the following announcement on Nov. 29
Monterey has been afforded funding ($138k) through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to invest in our community. As a result, it is imperative that those in the community have the opportunity to make their voices heard on potential uses of funding. Monterey is seeking feedback to develop a comprehensive and inclusive plan to improve our community. All surveys are confidential and no identifying information is tracked for any respondents. PLEASE RESPOND BY DECEMBER 31, 2021. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS SURVEY.
“For all recipients (state or municipal), the following current uses* are categorically eligible. Match requirements are appropriate where the municipality gains an asset or builds its tax base.
- Expenses to respond to the public health emergency re COVID-19 or its negative economic impacts:
- COVID-19 mitigation or prevention expenses including:
- Public health medical expenses;
- Behavioral health expenses;
- Public health and safety staff; and
- Public health program design improvements.
- Assistance to the unemployed such as
- Backfills for COVID-era government layoffs and
- Job training.
- Assistance to small business in the form of grants or loans to mitigate financial hardship caused by COVID-19 including:
- Offsets for declines in revenues;
- Funds to implement COVID-19 mitigation improvements; or
- Technical assistance with business planning.
- In-kind or financial assistance to households with documented negative impacts due to COVID-19 including:
- Food assistance;
- Rent, mortgage, or utility assistance;
- Counseling and legal aid to prevent eviction;
- Access to the internet; or
- Proportionate cash assistance.
- Assistance in the form of loans or grants to impacted industries, including tourism, travel, and hospitality to implement COVID-19 mitigation or prevention measures such as:
- Improvements to ventilation;
- Construction of physical barriers;
- Signage;
- Provision of PPE; and
- Development of safe reopening plans.
- Aid to disproportionately impacted communities
- Aid must address social determinants of health. For example: • Services to address homelessness;
- Affordable housing development;
- Housing vouchers;
- Expanded early learning services;
- Evidence based educational services;
- Evidence-based mental health services for students;
- High quality childcare;
- Home visiting programs; and
- Services for child welfare involved families.
- Aid must address social determinants of health. For example: • Services to address homelessness;
- These types of assistance are presumed eligible in HUD Qualified Census Tracts; other functionally equivalent geographic or interest-based definitions can be developed, subject to Treasury oversight
- Revenue replacement and compliance
- To substitute for lost revenue, FRF can pay for virtually any government service except debt service or transfers to pension or stabilization funds. E.g.: broad-based economic development.
- Note: Growing local aid, plus growth in property taxes and other local receipts, probably means few municipalities have a significant revenue gap under the federal formula
- Water, sewer, and broadband projects
- Water and sewer projects are eligible if they meet the criteria for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund or Safe Drinking Water Revolving Fund. Examples include:
- Centralized or decentralized wastewater treatment;
- Stormwater;
- Habitat protection and restoration;
- Desalination; and
- Groundwater protection.
- Broadband projects include any installation that provides symmetrical upload and download speeds of 100 mbps with a priority on underserved areas and last mile connections.”
- Water and sewer projects are eligible if they meet the criteria for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund or Safe Drinking Water Revolving Fund. Examples include:
- Tax reductions or cuts.
- Pension fund payments/deposits.
- Legal settlements.
- To meet Federal grant match requirements.
- Roads and bridges.
Examples:
- Investing in sustainable infrastructure to combat climate change
- Evaluating the feasibility of investments in broadband infrastructure to narrow the digital divide
Examples:
- Growing local programs to help businesses improve financial stability, marketing, customer loyalty, and more
- Providing business/workforce development programs for owners and employees in hardest-hit sectors
Examples:
- Create housing programs including rental, mortgage, and utility assistance for renters and homeowners
- Create a central food hub to address food access, food security, and food retail by enhancing residents' access to the food systems
- Developing partnerships to provide financial literacy and credit-building programs for residents including first-time homebuyers
Examples:
1.Partnering with local and regional agencies to increase training and job placement enrollments for Monterey residents
2.Investing in Monterey’s childcare sector through policy, technical assistance, and subsidies to support working parents
3.Providing transportation, childcare, or tuition stipends for people to complete a workforce training program
Public Health Investments: Public health professionals have always been essential to the safety and well-being of our community. The need for public health has grown in recent years and the time to invest in this sector is now.
Examples:
- Investing in hiring public health professionals
- Investing in community policing
- Investing in mental health counselors
Examples:
- Launching new programming and events and expand communications to sell the best of Monterey to a broader regional audience
If you are filling out a paper copy, please mail your response to ARPA Survey, P.O. Box 308, Monterey, MA 01245 or drop off in the drop box outside of town hall.
PLEASE RESPOND BY DECEMBER 31, 2021.
Original source can be found here.
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