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ORDER OF THE BOARD OF ALDERS AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDING IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH AND PURSUANT TO THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021 TOGETHER WITH AN APPROPRIATION OF $26.3M FOR MUNICIPAL COST AND SUMMER RESET PROGRAM
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WHEREAS, the COVID-19 global pandemic has created severe social and economic disruption across the world resulting to date the loss of over 540,000 lives in the United States of America alone; and
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the “Act”) which includes approximately $1.9 trillion in investments designed to address the public health emergency and the direct and adverse impacts to the economy, to people and to community wellbeing; and
WHEREAS, the Act provides direct support to the residents of New Haven in the form of supplemental unemployment insurance for dislocated workers, child tax credits to support our families and direct assistance to small business; and
WHEREAS, the Act also makes provision for a local fiscal recovery fund for use in response to the public health emergency arising out of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the negative economic impacts thereof, including assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits, or aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality; to respond to workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 public health emergency by providing premium pay to eligible workers that are performing such essential work, or by providing grants to eligible employers that have eligible workers who perform essential work; for the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue due to the COVID-19 public health emergency relative to revenues collected in the most recent full fiscal year prior to the emergency; and to make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the City of New Haven (City) is a qualifying local jurisdiction for receipt of funding pursuant to parameters of the local fiscal recovery fund and other provisions of the Act;
WHEREAS, the Acting Controller of the City of New Haven has undertaken a detailed analysis of the costs associated with the provision of government services together with unrealized municipal revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to initiate a series of programs designed for a early start to broader recovery efforts focus on (1) youth engagement; (2) clean and safe; (3) arts and culture and (4) safe summer in a manner consistent with Exhibit 1, Summer Reset Programs; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Justin Elicker, Mayor of the City of New Haven, is hereby authorized and directed to execute such documentation as may be required for funding local recovery funds and other funding as may be made available to the City under the American Rescue Plan Act process (which documentation may include (inter alia) an indemnification of the appropriate federal agency or other public or quasi-public organization involved with respect to the provision of such funding) and to execute any agreements, amendments, rescissions, and revisions thereto, and to act as the authorized representative of the City with respect to all other matters pertaining to such application; and
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Alders authorizes the City to draw down from the from the American Rescue Plan, local recovery fund for the purposes of municipal cost recovery for the period of January 2020 to June 30, 2021, which is an estimated appropriation of Twenty-Million Dollars and Zero Cents ($20M), but is subject to change according to end of FY 2021 accounting of municipal revenue and to estimate an appropriation for summer reset programming ($6.3 million) in a manner consistent with Exhibit 1; and
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Alders shall determine the program and method for appropriation of remaining funding received pursuant to the Act following receipt and consideration of an investment plan submitted by the Mayor for the purpose of obtaining advice and input from the Board and the community and ultimate approval of such an investment plan following such advice and input.