Welcome to the Friday Update from the Federal Funding Hub!
This message shares news and resources so that our region can make the most of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other federal funding.
👀 What's that about a new EDA NOFO? Find out below. 👀
News from MSP Cities
Edina: The official kickoff to the NextGen Trees planting program funded by Edina’s American Rescue Plan Act dollars occurred today. Staff and volunteers will plant 1,000 trees in Edina over the next year.
Minneapolis: The City Council’s Budget Committee held a presentation on Mayor Jacob Frey’s proposed spending plan for the City’s remaining $43 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars.
St. Paul:
The City outlined in detail how they plan to spend their ARPA dollars on pg. 34 of the 2022 Adopted Budget.
Not long ago, the city of St. Paul opened a grant application process for tourism-related businesses that had been hard hit by a loss of foot traffic during the pandemic Seven applicants applied for a share of the $4.5 million in relief dollars, which stem from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA. On Wednesday, the St. Paul City Council approved varying levels of grant funding for all seven applicants.
News from MSP Counties
Dakota County: The first all-inclusive city park playground in Farmington could come to reality with American Rescue Plan Act Funds and lead to redesigning of Rambling River Park. This is one of many city projects that could come to fruition with $2.52 million in ARPA funds.
Hennepin County: Hennepin County is using innovative ways to use its ARPA funds by purchasing multiple hotels and similar properties to serve as protective and isolation shelters for people experiencing homelessness with high vulnerability to the virus.
Ramsey County: On Monday, May 9th from 6 - 7 pm a public meeting will be held to receive responses from the community regarding the Ramsey County's portion of the Dakota County Consortium 2022 Annual Action Plan, an amendment to the Dakota County Consortium 2021 Annual Action Plan and the Dakota County Consortium’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) Allocation plan. Join here.
Washington County:
Washington County, led by its County Board and Public Health & Environment Department, played a key role in the response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The county took a number of actions to address community needs early in the pandemic, and has used federal assistance through the Coronavirus Relief Act (CARES) and American Rescue Plan (ARPA) to support its businesses and residents. This document highlights and provides a summary of those activities.
The Washington County Board of Commissioners agreed to amend the county’s American Rescue Plan Act April 19, to allow for programs for employment training and transitional housing.
Minnesota News
Frontline Workers: On Friday, Governor Walz signed a bill into law providing direct payments to frontline workers and replenishing the unemployment trust fund. On Thursday, Governor Walz and Speaker Melissa Hortman announced that they had secured a bipartisan agreement on these two items.
Health Equity: Through the American Rescue Plan the federal government allocated $2.8 billion towards Minnesota in fiscal recovery funds, direct cash the state could use for its COVID-19 response. This article outlines how the state used ARPA and CARES funds to invest in health equity.
Childcare: The split over plans for childcare spending is one of the starkest differences between Republicans and Democrats at the Minnesota Capitol this session. The Walz plan would some grants aimed at helping child care providers in financial hardship due to the pandemic. The federal American Recue Plan had money for this purpose, and Walz would keep some cash flowing for the hardest-hit providers after the ARP grants run out.
Governor's Council on Economic Expansion: The Council met on April 25th to understand strategies to realize the vision that Minnesota is the healthiest, greenest, safest, most equitable place for communities to thrive. Watch the recording of the meeting here. The next meeting will be held on Monday, May 9th from 2:00 pm- 4:00 pm. Watch it here.
National News
IIJA: The White House released new guidance directing agencies on the implementation of the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to ensure “accountability, effectiveness and transparency.”
Entrepreneurs: Treasury plans to deploy $300 million in technical assistance to underserved entrepreneurs and very small businesses through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). Through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the SSBCI program will provide $10 billion to states, the District of Columbia, territories, and Tribal governments for small business programs, including $500 million for technical assistance programs.
Faster Aid: President Biden is proposing changes to speed up the delivery of money to states under a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program that funnels billions of dollars to devastated communities after natural disasters, like floods, hurricanes, and wildfires.
EDA funding: EDA is now accepting applications for the FY22 Build to Scale Program, which is designed to invest in regional economies through scalable business startups. The deadline to apply for the program is June 13, 2022. Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
Upcoming Webinars and Events
Leveraging ARPA Funds to Prevent Violent Crime: Join NACo for a webinar on May 11th at 1:00 pm that will feature a discussion with county leaders on how they have been using ARPA funds to reduce violence and strengthen communities.
Small Business Expo: The Chinese American Chamber of Commerce-MN, and MN Hmong Chamber of Commerce and Partners will be hosting the 1st annual AAPI Small Business Expo in the state of Minnesota on Saturday, May 14th at Metropolitan State University. Register here.
Latino Community Foundation: On May 18th at 6:00 pm, hear from the experts about how we can mobilize Latinos around the American Rescue Plan. Register here.
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Training: This free training on May 19th from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm will give an overview of eligibility rules for fiscal recovery funds, limits on the use of ARPA funds, and reporting requirements. Participants will also learn about applying Chapter 30B to ARPA funds, using collaborative and cooperative contracts, and complying with federal single audit requirements. Register here.
Resources
APTA’s Smart Guide to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: This guide provides information and resources to aid members in navigating the many aspects of this new law. It includes APTA’s summaries, funding, and formula apportionment tables, and detailed section-by-section analyses of the public transit, passenger rail, Buy America, and other important titles of the IIJA.
How City-County Collaborations Advance Economic Mobility: New research looks at how city-county collaborations can advance residents' economic mobility.
Have a great weekend, all! And happy Mother's Day to all who celebrate.💐
Allison