HomeMy WebLinkAboutARPA Public Input Summary Memo - Sept 2 2021
Date: September 2, 2021
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rachel Kilburg, Assistant City Manager
Re: American Rescue Plan Act State & Local Fiscal Relief Funds: First Tranche Update
Background
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal
Recovery Fund (SLFRF), which provides significant resources to state and local governments to
respond to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible uses of funds fall within four broad
categories: responding to negative public health and economic impacts, premium pay for
essential workers, replacing lost government revenue, and necessary water, sewer, and
broadband infrastructure improvements.
In addition to significant funds provided to the State of Iowa, Johnson County and other local
municipalities, the U.S. Treasury has allocated $18.3 million to the City of Iowa City. The City
received approximately half of these funds in May 2021 and anticipates receiving the remaining
balance in May 2022. All funds must be obligated by the end of December 2024 and spent by
December 2026.
At the May 18, 2021 work session, City Council adopted guiding principles to inform the process
of prioritizing ideas for use of funds which are outlined below:
• Leverage partnerships and outside funding; avoid duplication with other relief programs
• Restore financial stability to support future governmental operations
• Retain flexibility to address evolving emergent community needs
• Seek opportunities to make lasting change in physical and social infrastructure
• Ensure funding decisions help mitigate racial inequities
• Pursue actions that contribute toward the City’s climate action
• Limit operational investments without identified sustainable funding sources
• Demonstrate compliance and transparency through regular public reporting
Public Input Summary
Since the City’s ARPA funds are delivered in two tranches, the City anticipates a multi-phased
public input process and recently conducted an initial phase of public input this summer.
City staff presented a plan for this first phase of public input at the June 15, 2021 City Council
work session. Following this work session and through the end of August, staff employed the
following strategies to collect public input:
• Online survey (available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic) was open from mid-
July through the end of August.
• E-mails (residents encouraged to submit messages in their preferred language)
• Listening Session, Mercer Park – August 11, 2021
• Diversity Market, South District – July 10, 2021
• Farmer’s Market, Chauncey Swan – July 24, 2021
• City Boards, Commissions, and Committees invited to share ideas
• Neighborhood Associations invited to share ideas
• Translated informational flyer and survey links were shared with the non-profit and social
service agencies e-mail list, for dissemination to those they serve
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• The City initiated meetings with the following targeted stakeholders:
o Catholic Worker House/Excluded Worker’s Coalition
o Agency Impact Coalition (coalition of Iowa City based social service agencies)
o Open Heartland, members of the Latino population
o Community and economic development organizations (Iowa City Area
Development Group, Think Iowa City, Iowa City Downtown District, and the Iowa
City Area Business Partnership)
o Iowa Flood Center
• Public input collaboration and data-sharing with Johnson County, including the non-profit
roundtable and urban communities’ session
• Various informal meetings/conversations with individuals and non-profit organizations
Opportunities to provide input were promoted through official City channels, including news
releases, social media platforms, and Cable TV programs. An informational flyer available in
multiple languages was also disseminated through various methods to further spread
awareness.
In total, the City received 1,892 responses to the online survey through August 15 (including
682 open-ended comments), over 20 e-mails, and countless ideas and stories shared through
meetings and listening sessions. A list is attached to this memo, summarizing the ideas
collected through the survey, meetings, e-mails, and other conversations. The raw survey
results are also attached. Other documentation such as emails and input forms or notes from
events is not attached but are available upon request and reflected in the summarized idea list.
While we are pleased with the amount of input received, we also recognize that many voices
were likely not heard and that we must continue to seek to understand the needs of residents
and make expenditure decisions that will create opportunities to meet the most acute needs in
our community.
Based on the results of the online survey, respondents ranked addressing public health and
economic harms as the top preference for spending the City’s ARPA funds. Considering these
categories address a broad range of possibilities, this is also reflective of what staff heard
through meetings, conversations, and listening sessions:
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The most common suggestions staff heard throughout the survey, listening sessions, and
meetings include:
• Direct financial assistance to those in need who did not receive direct federal stimulus
checks and unemployment benefits
• Premium pay for frontline, essential workers
• Improved access and affordability of high-speed internet
• Investments in long-term affordable housing solutions
• Expand and strengthen mental health and behavioral health services
• Infrastructure investments, including water and sewer
• Assistance to help businesses re-hire and increase minimum wage to $15/hour
• Invest further in climate actions and community resiliency
• Financial support for small businesses, non-profits, arts-based organizations,
entrepreneurs, entertainment venues, and other organizations impacted by COVID-19
• Rent, eviction, and foreclosure assistance
• Comprehensive non-profit needs assessment and capital planning/funding
• Enhanced public transit
Common concerns staff heard throughout the survey, listening sessions, and meetings include:
• Ensure aid/assistance is delivered to those most in need
• Prioritize low-barrier access for programs serving households, with eligibility guidelines
and applications that ensure residents lacking documentation can participate and are not
overly burdened by accessing the program
• Recognize there are urgent, stabilization needs for households, businesses, and
organizations
Local COVID-19 Relief Programs
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City has dedicated both local and federal relief
funds towards expanding or developing financial assistance and relief programs. These
allocations were largely intended to provide stability for households, non-profits, and businesses
facing emergent financial pressures:
City of Iowa City Past/Existing COVID-19 Relief Programs
Program Allocation Status Assisted*
Emergency Housing Assistance (administered
by CommUnity/Shelter House)
$616,000 Ongoing 153
Non-profit grants for expanded social services
addressing COVID-19 impacts
(17 non-profit recipients; delivering food
assistance, childcare assistance, homeless
services, mental health services, and legal aid)
$536,532 Ongoing 8,659
Business Grants
(Small Business Retention Grants, Project Better
Together BIPOC Business Grants)
$448,678 Ongoing 48
Security Deposit Assistance Grants
(administered by CommUnity)
$175,000 Ongoing 66
Shelter Diversion Grant
(emergency hotels to reduce crowding at onset of
COVID)
$10,800 Completed 10
Local Eviction Prevention Program
(additional funds for existing program
administered through Shelter House)
$125,000 Ongoing n/a
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Emergency Essential Needs Assistance
(administered by Center for Worker Justice)
$62,500 Completed 157
Courthouse Eviction Prevention Program
(administered by Shelter House/Iowa Legal Aid)
$41,000 Ongoing n/a
*Beneficiaries reported when project completed
In total, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City has allocated over $1.9 million in
new local relief programs, including $1 million for housing assistance, $536,532 for expanded
social services, and $448,678 for small business support. Thus far, these programs have served
376 households, 8,659 individuals, and 48 total businesses (additional household/individual
beneficiaries will be added as funding is depleted/program closes). This relief does not capture
other relief funding sources that were administered directly by the State or received directly by
local non-profit organizations.
In addition to City programs, Johnson County has recently made changes to their General
Assistance Program to improve benefits and expand eligibility. Additionally, the County
dedicated up to $2 million in federal relief funding toward the program. General Assistance
payments are made by the County on behalf of the recipient for needs limited to rent, utilities,
provisions, prescription medications, medical supplies, transportation, pet supplies, and funeral
expenses.
Revisions to Johnson County General Assistance Program (Approved 7/29/21)
Guideline Previous Policy New Policy
Program type “Short Term” and “One-Time”
Assistance Programs
Combined into one program
Duration of assistance
(within 12 mo. period)
3 months for 0-50% FPG^ (“Short
Term”) or 1 month for 50-130%
FPG (“One-Time”)
3 months for all eligible households
(0-200% FPG)
Income eligibility 130% FPG for one-time assistance
50% FPG for short-term assistance
Up to 200% FPG
($25.7K for a one-person household
or $53K for a four-person household)
Supplemental
emergency assistance
Not available May be granted per Director’s
discretion
Eligible expenses Rent, utilities, provisions, some
medical, transportation, and funeral
expenses.
Maintained existing eligible
expenses. Added gas vouchers and
pet food as eligible assistance.
Expanded expenses eligible for
certain health and medical care
supplies.
Applicant
Documentation
Application requested immigration
status
Application no longer requests
immigration status; eligibility
extended to any County resident who
meets program guidelines.
^ FPG = Federal Poverty Guidelines
Other notable eligibility changes include eliminating the rent cap and expanding eligibility to
include those receiving federal/state benefits (such as FIP, SSI, unemployment, etc.). In
addition to the General Assistance Program, Johnson County offers an Interim Assistance
Reimbursement Program, which provides ongoing assistance for those who have applied for
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Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits, until they are approved. Eligibility for this
program was also expanded -- from 50% to 100% FPG.
Households, non-profits, and businesses may have also benefitted directly from various state or
federal pandemic relief programs, but the City has no way of quantifying or identifying those
recipients. Anecdotally, staff understand local programs have been more accessible particularly
among immigrant and refugee populations than state and federal programs.
Finally, Iowa City is fortunate to have a strong network of social service agencies, who have
continued to serve clients throughout the pandemic, especially as need and demand increased.
The impact of these agencies is expansive and invaluable. Partnerships
City staff believe two key partnerships will play an integral role in efficient and effective spending
of ARPA funds:
• Johnson County: City and County staff have been in regular communication and
collaboration to share and streamline public input and identify potential areas of
overlapping interest. The County has signaled interest in continuing to collaborate as
spending decisions are developed. Careful coordination with the County is needed to
ensure relief dollars are stretched as far as possible and have the greatest impact on
residents.
• Social Service Agencies: The City has had considerable success partnering with local
agencies to administer assistance programs both prior to and throughout the pandemic.
Multiple agencies have again expressed interest in partnerships to roll out ARPA funds.
City staff capacity is unlikely able to support the administration and compliance and reporting
management of multiple new programs. For any new programs that the City administers, it
should be expected that additional staff will be required for such effort. A 5% administrative set-
aside is standard for large federal grants with robust compliance and reporting guidelines.
Next Steps
Staff is developing recommended priority projects based on an assessment of the public input
collected, the U.S. Treasury guidance, and project/program’s relationship to the guiding
principles set forth by City Council for the use of these funds. Those recommendations will be
presented at your September 7th work session.
The recommendations will identify top priorities based in two general areas
(1) Emergent community need projects
(2) Strategic investment projects
The recommendations will include initial estimates for potential funding levels that exceed the
City’s $18.3 million allocation. This acknowledges that there will likely by some overlap in
City/County priorities and that continued close collaboration will be needed to identify areas
where City funding is most needed. Similarly, it acknowledges that the future decisions by the
State of Iowa with regards to their $1.2 billion may impact funding needs at a local level.
Staff will be seeking guidance from the City Council at the work session. Specifically, whether
Council is comfortable with the recommended priority projects and staff beginning to work on
execution details for emergent needs, while initiating planning for the strategic investment
projects.
Attachments
• Summarized list of ideas obtained through public input
• Copy of the survey
• Raw survey results
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