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PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE TO FILE 21-3657
(Finance Committee 7/28/2021)
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
PROPOSED RESOLUTION IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COOK COUNTY AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FRAMEWORK
WHEREAS, the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services declared that COVID-19 presents a public health emergency on January 27, 2020, and on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Cook County Code of Ordinances, Sections 26-36 and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, 20 ILCS 3305/11, on March 10, 2020, County Board President Toni Preckwinkle found that the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 constitute a public health emergency and issued a proclamation of disaster for Cook County which has since been extended monthly by the Cook County Board of Commissioners through June 30, 2021; and
WHEREAS, on March 27, 2020, the federal government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) which authorized approximately $2 trillion in federal stimulus funds to combat the crisis related to COVID-19, and included funds to specifically address the economic and public health issues that state and local governments encountered as they worked to protect their communities during this public health crisis; and
WHEREAS, Cook County qualified as an eligible local government and received $428.6M in Coronavirus Relief Funds (“CRF”) from the US Department of Treasury to specifically address the issues encountered by Cook County government, its residents, and its business from the effects of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, on July 16, 2020, Cook County Board of Commissioners authorized the Cook County COVID-19 Funding Response Plan: From Rapid Response to Equitable Recovery (“Cook County Funding Response Plan”), an initiative which addressed the County’s utilization of CRF in the areas of public health initiatives, Cook County government operational needs and continuity of service, suburban municipalities’ public health and operational needs, and Countywide economic development initiatives; and
WHEREAS, as part of the Cook County Funding Response Plan, Cook County allocated the CRF as follows: $302M to operational initiatives and direct costs incurred by the County, $50.8M to assist 134 suburban municipalities and units of local government, and $75.8M distributed via the Bureau of Economic Development to direct service providers within Cook County to address critical social service needs as well as economic and community development needs; and
WHEREAS, Cook County allocated the $302M among operational initiatives and direct costs incurred by the County in order to address COVID-19 and ensure continuity of services in compliance with public health guidance and mandates, including costs incurred to reorganize the County’s public space for social distancing, the purchase of equipment to allow workers to telecommute, and funding used to defray the cost of public health and public safety workers directly involved in the response to the pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Cook County allocated the $50.8M among 134 local municipalities and units of local government pursuant to an equitable distribution strategy, which recognized that a historic disinvestment in certain communities within the County resulted in an unequal capacity for suburban local governments to respond to the challenges that Covid-19 presents; and
WHEREAS, Cook County, through the Bureau of Economic Development, utilized the $75.8M to launch The Cook County Community Recovery Initiative that includes, but is not limited to, the following: Cook County COVID-19 Small Business Assistance Program, The Southland Development, Authority Business Growth Services, Cook County Job Training and Placement, Cook County Manufacturing Concierge, Cook County Rental Assistance Program, Cook County Mortgage Assistance Program, and Cook County Critical Social Service Programs (Homeless Sheltering Program, Legal Aid, Housing Counseling and Foreclosure Mediation Program, Utility Assistance Program, Food Assistance Program, Direct Financial Assistance Program); and
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2021, the federal government authorized the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) which includes $1.9 trillion in federal stimulus funds to hasten the United States’ recovery from the economic and health effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the federal government has authorized $350 billion in ARPA funding to be directly allocated to eligible state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to aid in their recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, specifically, the federal government has authorized and allocated a federal award of approximately $1,000,372,385B of ARPA funding to Cook County to assist the County in its recovery from the economic and health effects of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, on June 24, 2021, the Cook County American Rescue Plan Act Framework (the “ARPA Framework”) was presented to the Cook County Board of Commissioners; and
WHEREAS, the ARPA Framework is a comprehensive plan for the County’s expenditure of ARPA funding which includes leveraging and expanding existing County programs and initiatives created by CRF as well as creating new near-term and long-term transformative initiatives. The ARPA Framework will guide investments and provide support for programs and initiatives to assist workers and families, small businesses and impacted industries, as well as programs to address health disparities, housing and community needs, and other identified opportunities; and
WHEREAS, through a robust community engagement plan outlined in the ARPA Framework, the County expects to develop new near-term and transformational initiatives that will be incorporated into the County’s FY2022 Annual Appropriation Ordinance; and
WHEREAS, to effectuate the approach outlined in the ARPA Framework, it is necessary to authorize the Chief Financial Officer and the Budget Director to expend a limited amount of ARPA funding for the purpose of continuing and expanding existing County programs and initiatives, including any created under CRF, as well as for the purpose of building operational support capacity within County departments and offices to assist with managing the ARPA funded initiatives; and
WHEREAS, in order to provide for continuity of services, facilitate programs and initiatives to aid Cook County residents and businesses in its recovery efforts, it is necessary to grant limited authority to the Chief Financial Officer and the Budget Director to ensure timely budgetary transfers without advance approval from the Board; provided; however, that such transfers are consistent with the requirements outlined in Sections 26 of the FY2021 Appropriation Bill and Resolution; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, effective July 29, 2021 through December 31, 2021, the Cook County Board of Commissioner does hereby authorize the Chief Financial Officer and the Budget Director to use the ARPA funding as outlined in the Cook County American Rescue Plan Act Framework; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, effective July 29, 2021 through December 31, 2021, the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby authorize the Chief Financial Officer and the Budget Director to use the ARPA funding for new and existing personnel, professional services and administrative costs (such as consulting fees, technical assistance provider fees or other third party program administrator fees), along with existing programs previously approved under the Cook County Community Recovery Initiative; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it is anticipated that an amount up to $25,000,000 will be spent from the ARPA award through December 31, 2021, divided into the following categories: $3,000,000 in personnel costs, $10,000,000 in professional services and administrative costs and $12,000,000 for Cook County Community Recovery Initiatives; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, effective July 29, 2021 through December 31, 2021, the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby authorize the Budget Director or designee of the Budget Director to review and approve budgetary transfer requests related to the ARPA funding allocated herein in accordance with Section 26 of the FY2021 Annual Appropriation Bill and Resolution; provided, however, all budget transfer requests in an amount greater than or equal to $1,000,000, shall further require the advice and consent of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and written concurrence of the Cook County Chief Financial Officer or a designee of the Chief Financial Officer; provided further that transfers permitted in accordance with Section 20 of the FY2021 Resolution and Annual Appropriation Bill to allow for end-of-year account reconciliation shall not require additional approvals; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Budget Director shall issue a report on the approved budgetary transfers permitted under this Resolution and Section 26 of the FY 2021 Resolution and Annual Appropriation Bill for the preceding month on the day that coincides with the date of the monthly Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting to the Cook County Board of Commissioners and the Cook County Health System Board, where applicable. Provided, however, if there is a month for which a Cook County Board meeting is not scheduled, then the report will be issued by the 25th day of such month; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the ARPA funding award approved by the Cook County Board of Commissioners on June 24, 2021 will be further utilized and appropriated in Fiscal Year 2022 in accordance with the Cook County Policy Roadmap and the U.S. Treasury ARPA expenditure categories which include expenditures for Public Health, Negative Economic Impacts, Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities, Premium Pay, Infrastructure, Revenue Replacement and Administrative Costs and will be included the FY2022 Annual Appropriation Ordinance.
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