12 - Coronavirus Relief Funding - plan for expenditure of funding

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Item No. 12 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Grayson Path, City Manager SUBJECT: CRF Program Funding Plan for Expenditure of Funding DATE: March 8, 2021 BACKGROUND: On June 8, 2020, the City Council authorized a Resolution for the signing of Terms and Conditions to receive Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding, also known as Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) with the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM). This funding is designed to help governments who are responding to the CoVid-19 pandemic. The City of Paris has been allocated a maximum amount of $55 per capita which is $1,393,150.00. On December 14, 2020, the City Council discussed possible options for using the balance of CRF Program Funding. When the program was first announced last summer, the funding was restricted to abnormal CoVid-19 related expenses. This changed in such a way that the City was able to identify all first responder payroll as eligible expenses, whether it was a direct response to CoVid- 19 or not. It must therefore be decided how we will spend this funding. The City has three external commitments: 1) Third Party Administrator, 2) Paris -Lamar County Health District, and 3) the three local ISDs. The City Manager recommended that the balance be utilized for investing in the City's municipal emergency response capability, that specifically being equipment (non- perishable) that would be used to respond to an emergency such as another virus, a tornado, hailstorm, etc. After some discussion, the City Council directed that some of the incoming funding be used to reimburse the City for CoVid-19 expenses already made. It was then asked that a total amount spent to -date be identified and brought back for further discussion. On January 25, 2021, a report was brought back to the City Council listing the City's commitments to third parties as well as CoVid-19 related expenses to -date. The City's budget absorbed all of our FY19/20 expenses and we are attempting to do the same in FY20/21. By the City Manager's recommendation, the City Council agreed to revisit this topic this summer once more CoVid-19 expenses have been