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ORDER OF THE BOARD OF ALDERS APPROPRIATING $53.0 MILLION FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT TO IMPLEMENT PHASE 3 PANDEMIC RECOVERY INITIATIVES
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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 820,000 lives in the United States of America and 9,100 lives in the State of Connecticut 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 off funding pursuant to parameters of the local fiscal recovery fund and other provisions of the Act; and
WHEREAS, on June 7, 2021, the Board of Alders authorized acceptance of the local fiscal recovery fund pursuant to the Act; and
WHEREAS, under Phase 1, the Board of Alders approved a $26.3 million allocation for programs related to the “Summer Reset”, namely (1) youth engagement; (2) clean and safe; (3) arts and culture and (4) safe summer, as well as municipal cost recovery pursuant to LM 2021 0191 and various public safety and information technology initiatives pursuant to LM 2021 0399; and
WHEREAS, under Phase 2, the Board of Alders approved an $8.0 million allocation to establish the Department of Community Resilience, pursuant to LM 2021 0335 and $4.0 million for Police and Fire overtime pursuant to the FY23 General Fund Budget of the City of New Haven; and
WHEREAS, the City initiated the Civic Space community engagement program to solicit input on a future investment plan of local recovery funding with a particular focus on strategies that address the negative public health impacts and that address the economic harm to households, small business, nonprofits, impacted industries and the public sector as related to the COVID 19 public health emergency through social and economic resilience; and
WHEREAS, consistent with President Biden’s Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government, the City has placed underscored the racial wealth gap and opportunities to create intergenerational wealth through the recovery process; and
WHEREAS, on January 6, 2022, the US Department of Treasury issued its final rule which regulates the use the local fiscal recovery fund and which takes effect on April 1, 2022; and
WHEREAS, the City proposes an investment plan of $53.0 million for programs to address youth engagement and early childhood; housing through the I’m Home Initiative; wealth creation and economy; vocational and technical initiatives; the climate emergency; public health and infrastructure; and the New Haven Land Bank all as more particularly detailed in the revised Exhibit 1; and
WHEREAS, at public hearings on this proposed allocation held by the Finance Committee of the New Haven Board of Alders, many community members testified to the urgent need for more positive opportunities for youth and spoke about the growing affordable housing crisis in New Haven; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED, 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 ORDERED, that the Board of Alders authorizes the City to draw down from the from the American Rescue Plan, local fiscal recovery fund for the purposes set forth in the revised Exhibit 1; and
AND BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that the City Administration shall work with Alders designated by the President of the Board of Alders to create an updated format for an ARPA report to be included in the monthly financial report and to specify additional criteria for evaluating the success of the programs and initiatives funded by this and other ARPA allocations; the reporting format and criteria will be presented to the Finance Committee by no later than its November meeting; and
AND BE IT FURTHER ORDERED, that the Board of Alders shall determine the program and method for appropriation of remaining funding following receipt and consideration of a request from the Mayor in a manner consistent with the Act.