Tag: American Rescue Plan Act

$626K in general fund spending, $1.3M in ARPA money for police-fire OK’d by Bloomington council

At its Wednesday meeting, Bloomington’s city council unanimously approved $626,000 in spending from the city’s general fund, along with an appropriation of $1.3 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money.

This is a table: Department Total Fire $164,600 ITS $94,000 Legal $71,200 Police $50,700 Mayor $48,900 Human Resources $46,500 Planning $35,200 CFRD $28,500 ESD $18,900 Public Works Administration $18,500 Public Works – Facilities Maintenance $16,800 HAND $16,000 Animal Care & Control $10,000 Clerk $4,100 Council $2,200
Details on each department’s appropriation are included in a table below.

After adding another $233,600 in spending for the parks department, and a transfer of $1,875,851 between two kinds of motor vehicle fund, the total for the appropriation ordinance approved by the city council on Wednesday was just a smidgen over $4 million.

The general fund spending will draw on money that was budgeted for 2022, but not spent in that year. If it were not appropriated now, it would revert back to the general fund, and count as a part of the fund balance, from which future appropriations could also be made.

Of the $1.3 million in ARPA funds—that’s money from a federal stimulus bill to help economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic—$1 million was appropriated to pay for a housing down payment incentive for firefighters and police officers. Continue reading “$626K in general fund spending, $1.3M in ARPA money for police-fire OK’d by Bloomington council” →

$48K to 16 Monroe County arts groups among awards from Indiana Arts Commission

In a news release issued Monday morning, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced 278 $3,000 awards for a total of $834,000 to arts groups across the state.

Among the awardees are 16 Monroe County arts groups.

The $48,000 that went to local groups puts Monroe County fourth behind Marion, Allen, and Hamilton counties for the total awarded.

The grant money came from IAC’s Arts Recovery Program, which draws on American Rescue Plan Act through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Additional NEA money came through Arts Midwest, Indiana’s regional partner, according to the news release.

Quoted in the news release is Lewis Ricci, Indiana Arts Commission executive director: “This funding is a recognition of the value that the creative sector provides to the economic and social health of our state and nation.” Continue reading “$48K to 16 Monroe County arts groups among awards from Indiana Arts Commission” →

American Rescue Plan Act: Bloomington mayor’s initial request to city council: $3.35M for support of housing, the arts, lead pipe removal

When Bloomington mayor John Hamilton announced at a news conference in early June that some of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding would be used for housing supports, no dollar amounts were attached.

Now released as a part of the city council’s July 21 meeting information packet is a plan for spending the estimated $22.3 million in ARPA funding that the city is expected to receive through the federal legislation.

An appropriation ordinance that echoes the numbers in the ARPA plan will get a first reading at the meeting.

The ARPA is a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, to help counter the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Housing supports, at $1.65 million, are about half of the total in the initial ordinance.

The breakdown for housing is: a $1.2 million grant to the United Way of Monroe County to address homelessness and housing insecurity; a $250,000 grant to the Bloomington Housing Authority to create affordable housing options; and $200,000 to encourage participation by landlords in the federal Section 8 voucher program.

On Friday, the United Way released the report and recommendations of a working group that has been convening since last year to address the question of how to make homelessness “rare, brief and non-repeating.” [Heading Home 2021] Continue reading “American Rescue Plan Act: Bloomington mayor’s initial request to city council: $3.35M for support of housing, the arts, lead pipe removal” →

Bloomington releases results of American Rescue Plan survey: 147 respondents weigh in on $22.3M

At its July 21 meeting, Bloomington’s city council could be asked by the city’s administration to take a first look at an initial appropriation ordinance for a portion of the $22.3 million that Bloomington has been awarded in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

The ARPA is a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, to help counter the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bloomington’s initial ARPA appropriation ordinance is expected in broad strokes to fall into three kinds of housing supports: response to and prevention of homelessness; affordable housing rental supports; and affordable home ownership support.

That’s based on remarks made by Bloomington mayor John Hamilton at a press conference held in the first part of June.

In the run-up to the July 21 city council meeting, Bloomington mayor John Hamilton’s administration has now released the results  of a survey of self-selected respondents promoted on Facebook and Twitter starting on June 18. Continue reading “Bloomington releases results of American Rescue Plan survey: 147 respondents weigh in on $22.3M” →