Livingston Today

The City of Saginaw has launched its online funding proposal portal for residents, nonprofits, and businesses to submit ideas and formal applications for the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

The portal will be available through  May 31 at this link: https://bit.ly/SaginawARPAPortal

To assist citizens and organizations with any questions on their submissions, members of the ARPA Advisory Committee have scheduled numerous Community Engagement Meetings throughout the month of May to help with the process.

View the ARPA Community Engagement Meeting schedule, follow this link: https://bit.ly/ARPAEngageCal

ARPA Advisory  Committee Members will also have paper copies of the application available at their Community Engagement Meetings for those who wish to submit a paper application. The application is also be available in Spanish.

The City’s submission portal can be used as an idea box for those in the community who wish to submit a general idea on the use of ARPA funds, and as the official grant application for  those who have a formal submission. The first ten questions in the portal are more general and  allow anyone in the community to submit an idea on the use of ARPA funds. The remaining  questions are more specific and should be completed by those organizations and individuals who wish to submit their formal application for ARPA funds. The final section of the portal involves more specific questions on project impact and organizational capacity.  

All members of the community are encouraged to participate in the portal. The City  welcomes all submissions, from general ideas to full proposals.

Renee Johnston, ARPA Advisory Committee Chair, commented on the process, “This is a wonderful opportunity for the  community to be engaged and provide input on the effective distribution of ARPA funds, so they can have the best impact on the overall community. We want everyone to feel they are involved and heard throughout this process. That is why we are looking for everything from general  ideas to formal proposals.”  

All ideas and proposals submitted will be reviewed and considered by the ARPA  Advisory Committee, City Council, and City Administration.

The community is reminded that the  more information that is provided in the submission, the more likely it will be considered for ARPA funding. The ARPA Committee will perform the initial review of all ideas and submit  recommendations to City Council for funding. City Council Members will make the final decision  on how the ARPA funds are allocated.

To further assist the community with their submissions, ARPA Advisory Committee  members have scheduled Community Engagement Meetings throughout the month of May.  The purpose of the Community Engagement Meetings is to hear from the community and assist  with any questions that citizens and organizations may have about their submission. Citizens who have questions on the submission portal are encouraged to attend one of the public meetings scheduled in May rather than contact the City with questions. The community will  have the opportunity to present their questions and speak one-on-one with an ARPA Advisory  Committee member at these meetings.

“From the beginning of this process back in 2021, the City has used various methods to  receive input from the community,” said Tim Morales, City Manager. “The City is moving  forward with our decision making process, and we want to make sure that everyone has had an  opportunity to provide input. We also want to make sure that we are staying within the bounds  laid out by the federal government for the use of ARPA funds, but that we are also focusing on  programs and projects that are priorities for our residents and businesses.”

City administration encourages the community to focus on recovery goals when  completing their submission. The intended outcome is to align the community goals with the City Council’s strategic goals and objectives.  

• Based on the final rules established by the U.S. Department of Treasury, ARPA funds  are designed to stimulate the local economy due to the negative impact of COVID-19  and the pandemic-induced crisis

∙ ARPA funds can be used to respond to the public health emergency or its negative  economic impact

∙ ARPA funds can be used to provide premium pay to eligible essential workers, within  caps

∙ ARPA funds can provide government services to the extent of revenue loss ∙ ARPA funds can be used to make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband  infrastructure.

∙ ARPA funds CANNOT be used for

o Pension contributions

o Replenishing budget stabilization funds, rainy day funds, or similar reserve  accounts

o Legal settlements

o Outstanding debt

Original source can be found here.