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eligible expenses, whether it was a direct response to CoVid-19 or not. We have done this in order
<br />to receive our entire allocation.
<br />By doing this, we are going to receive a significant amount of funding that is not directly tied to
<br />an abnormal CoVid-19 expense given our budget covered the payroll. This in affect gives us
<br />options for spending this money. We have three external commitments: 1) Third Party
<br />Administrator, 2) Health District, and 3) Schools, all of which were approved by the City Council.
<br />All other expenses though are internal (testing kits, ventilators, cleaning supplies, masks, payroll,
<br />overtime, etc.), and given our FY19/20 Budget was able to absorb these expenses without
<br />exceeding budget, we have options for the balance of CRF Program Funding beyond the external
<br />commitments.
<br />This agenda item is to seek City Council guidance on how to expend the funds we will receive.
<br />An immediate option is to simply reimburse the City funds spent on payroll, testing kits,
<br />ventilators, cleaning supplies, etc., in essence adding this money to the reserve given our normal
<br />operating budget has already covered this without issue. Another option is to set this money aside
<br />for a purpose TBD, such as future street work, capital improvements, equipment purchases, etc.
<br />There are many possibilities with this, all of which could be determined at a future date. A third
<br />option though is to set this money aside for the pursuit of disaster -related purchases. The City
<br />Manager would like to recommend this third option tonight for your consideration.
<br />The City Manager recommends that given this funding was originally raised for the purpose of
<br />responding to an emergency situation, even though the funding is being received and in essence
<br />the strings are being removed, these funds could still yet be spent on emergency -related expenses,
<br />whether that is virus, storm, fire, flood, or some other disaster. Therefore, the City Manager
<br />proposes that, once the external commitments are satisfied, the remaining balance be set aside and
<br />the City use these funds to make purchases in such a way as to invest in our municipal emer enc -.
<br />response abilities. While I would like to keep this broad so as not to eliminate good ideas, the
<br />intent is that the purchase(s) would be for our own city operational disaster or emergency response
<br />related abilities and would not be for something perishable (ex: supplies), thus a true investment
<br />in our ability to respond to situations. Ideas are vehicles, trailers, gear, training, tools, etc. While
<br />this does direct it more towards Police, Fire and EMS, all other departments can have disaster -
<br />related roles that might need purchases to help prepare ourselves for that role. In addition, by
<br />setting the funds aside, there would be no specific timeframe to expend them, thus we can proceed
<br />to draw these funds down until exhausted, whether that occurs in 2021 or some year thereafter.
<br />The City Council is responsible for determining the use of these funds, so this could be brought
<br />back to a future meeting. However, if the City Council is agreeable to the above stated proposal,
<br />the City Manager can work with the City Attorney to draft a Resolution that would earmark these
<br />funds towards purchases that invest in the City of Paris' ability to respond to emergency situations.
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