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American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
January 2022 Update:
In October 2021, City Council approved initial ARPA funding allocations for Human Services, Economic Recovery and City Administrative Expenses. Since that time, staff have been working with community partners, residents and key stakeholders to determine the most effective and impactful ways to distribute funding. See AB #21-151 (Pages 35-40) for additional details.
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Dollars
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was passed by congress in March 2021 to provide $1.9 trillion in emergency funding to state, local and tribal governments to help communities respond to and recover from the pandemic. City of Bothell expects to receive $13.2M in ARPA funds and has received $6.6M so far. The City intends to use these one-time, limited funds to support the recovery of our residents, business community and City as a whole.
Funding Allocations
Per federal guidelines, ARPA monies must be used to fund Public Health, Negative Economic Impacts, Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities, Premium Pay, Infrastructure, Revenue Replacement and/or Administrative Expenses. Funds must be obligated by December 31, 2024 and spent by December 31, 2026
Our Guiding Principles
City of Bothell has developed the following guidelines to ensure funds are spent responsibly:
Provide direct community support, especially for human services needs and economic recovery | Make one-time investments to reopen and facilitate recovery |
Maximize community partnerships to facilitate deployment of resources, recognizing those who are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic | Provide sufficient staffing levels for effective implementation, internal and regional coordination and reporting requirements |
Decision-making is intentional and inclusive with equitable outcomes | Use all eligible ARPA funds before existing City funds |
An initial $1M in ARPA dollars has been allocated to Human Services to provide relief to community members, households and families in need through direct financial assistance, and through partnerships with area nonprofits.
January, 2022 Update:
Utility Assistance Program
On September 30, 2021, the moratorium for utility shutoffs expired. In an effort to help residents in need, staff created the Utility Assistance Program. To date, the program has provided over $10,000 in aid.
Nonprofit Partners
City staff are working closely with nonprofit partners to discuss ARPA qualifications. We are expecting proposals from Northshore YMCA, Friends of Youth and Kindering. The City has also received a promising proposal from CHS which would bring additional behavioral health and family services to Bothell.
Are you a nonprofit who is interested in receiving ARPA funding? Contact Aurora Belli at: 425-806-6892 or aurora.belli@bothellwa.gov for additional information today.
An initial $1M in ARPA dollars has been allocated to Economic Recovery to provide relief to small businesses in need, support unemployed workers, provide job training and to promote tourism.
January 2022 Update:
Staff are currently research assisting with business rent arrears and are providing small businesses with education to facilitate recovery and resilience. We are working closely with Bothell Kenmore Chamber of Commerce to find additional ways to support small businesses in our community.
An initial $500K in ARPA dollars has been allocated to Administrative Recovery Expenses to allow the City to resume pre-pandemic levels of service, hire additional staff to help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and to support community engagement in a post-pandemic world.
January, 2022 Update:
The initial $500K in ARPA funds have been distributed. Expenditures include; an ARPA Management Analyst; a Human Resources Assistant; and technology improvements to help support virtual meeting needs, telecommuting workers and to improve the City's network security.