(KTTS News) — Springfield City Council will hear first reading tonight on a plan to distribute the city’s portion of American Rescue Plan money.

The ARPA review committee is recommending money for 16 projects.

There were more than 50 requests totaling more than $210 million.

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan was passed by Congress last year.

Press Release

The City’s American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Review Committee, comprised of Mayor Pro Tem Matthew Simpson, Councilmen Andy Lear and Abe McGull and Councilwoman Heather Hardinger, has recommended 16 projects out of the more than 50 funding requests totaling more than $210 million. City Council, at its July 11 meeting, will hear first reading of two ordinances to allocate the funds.

Recommendations

Renew Jordan Creek (Stormwater project): $ 500,000

Cooper/Killian Park Projects Total: $ 7,300,000

• Cooper Soccer Complex Turf
• Cooper Baseball & Killian Softball Upgrades

Art Museum Education Wing: $ 3,000,000

Ozark Greenways: Chadwick Flyer Trail Development: $ 3,000,000

Historic City Hall Renovation: $ 4,000,000

City-Wide Housing Study: $ 500,000

MSU request for funding for Grand St. underpass: $ 750,000

Restore SGF project: $ 1,000,000

Boys & Girls Club / FosterAdopt Connect Teen Center: $ 2,000,000

Housing/Homeless Projects Set Aside (Additional to $5.3 million in CDBG-ARPA Funds): $ 7,000,000

Family Connects Program: $ 650,000

Discovery Center: $ 50,000

Ozark Empire Fair Youth Agricultural Education Center: $ 250,000

Burrell 24/7 Mental Health Help Hotline: $ 100,000

Springfield-Greene County Library District (Library Center Community Space, Midtown Carnegie and Library Station Renovations): $ 500,000

OTC request for Airframe & Powerplant Maintenance facility: $ 750,000

Two important notes: six of the above listed projects involve state matching funds. Also, the total dollar amount available for homeless/housing will be approximately $12.3 million, when combined with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) ARPA funds.

About ARPA:

ARPA is a $1.9 trillion federal aid package passed by Congress in March 2021 to provide financial aid to families, governments, businesses, schools, nonprofits and others impacted by the pandemic. Of that $1.9 trillion, $350 billion is going to state and local governments as part of the Fiscal Recovery Fund. The City of Springfield received just over $40 million.

Funds must be obligated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026. One of the council bills sets aside $7 million in homeless/housing projects that remain to be recommended by the City Council ARPA Review Committee. The committee anticipates additional meetings and discussion/recommendations for City Council’s formal approval in the upcoming months.

Initial allocations for pandemic response, employee retention

City Council at its Aug. 23, 2021 meeting allocated $8 million to support the Springfield-Greene County Health Department for continuing COVID-19 critical services, as recommended by the ARPA Review Committee. The committee is now recommending to amend the funds to be set aside for potential COVID-19 response to $3,026,290. This funding allocation will remain for COVID-19 pandemic utilization unless/until these funds are reallocated by City Council for other ARPA projects, as funds become available.

On Jan. 24, 2022, the council approved the use of ARPA dollars for retention pay for all full-time Fire Department, Police Department and Health Department staff.

Public engagement

A community survey was conducted last fall to determine funding priorities for the ARPA funds.

The four-page questionnaire was mailed on Sept. 27, 2021 to 5,000 randomly selected households living within the city limits of Springfield. Results were based on 1,438 completed questionnaires (1,237 mail and 201 online). Overall findings have a +/- 2.6% of error (95% confidence interval).

The funding categories ranked in order of importance are:

• Public safety and crime prevention (55%)
• Homeless and housing services (40%)
• Community health and wellness (37%)
• Premium pay for essential workers (36%)
• Stabilizing and revitalizing neighborhoods (29%)
• Quality of Life (29%)
• Economic recovery and growth (24%)
• Public facility preservation and enhancement (22%).

Cities can use ARPA funds to:

• Respond to the public health emergency or its negative economic impacts;
• Provide premium pay to eligible workers;
• For the provision of governmental services to the extent of the reduction in revenue due to COVID-19; and
• Invest in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.

Cities cannot use ARPA funds to:

• Offset a reduction in taxes;
• For deposits into pension funds;
• To fund debt service;
• To fund legal settlements or judgments;
• For deposits into rainy-day funds or financial reserves.