The City of Grand Junction is beginning the process of determining how to utilize the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) allocated to the City by the U.S. Treasury, as established in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). These funds to states, counties and local governments are intended to provide support in responding to the economic and public health impacts of COVID-19 alongside efforts to contain impacts to communities, residents, and businesses. Treasury has determined Grand Junction’s portion of these funds to be approximately $10.4 million. The allowable uses of these funds are broad, as determined by the legislation and guidance from the U.S. Treasury. They include:
- Replacement of Public Sector Revenue Loss
- Support for the Public Health Response
- Address Negative Economic Impacts
- Premium Pay for Essential Workers
- Water, Sewer, and Broadband Infrastructure
Within each of these broad categories, Treasury has outlined a non-exhaustive list of potential eligible spending uses designed to grant wide flexibility for each individual community’s needs.
The City of Grand Junction will be working to determine the best use of SLFRF funds in our community over the next several months. An important part of this effort will be establishing an American Rescue Plan Advisory Committee (ARPAC) to provide input to the City Council on potential uses of the funds. The City is looking for citizens interested in serving on this committee.
The American Rescue Plan Advisory Committee will make recommendations to City Council. This advisory committee may include elected officials, representatives of community organizations, business owners, residents, and other stakeholders. Committee members should anticipate several meetings over the course of a few months. The Committee will be appointed by City Council after review of applications submitted.
The committee will consist of approximately 12 community members and the City Council will seek a diverse group of representatives with knowledge and experience in a variety of areas. These areas may include:
- Economic/Financial/Business
- Public Health
- Social Services/Non-Profit Sector
- Infrastructure, including Water, Sewer and Broadband
- Transportation/Transit
- Neighborhood Organizations
- General Interest/Citizen/Neighborhood
- Housing
- Senior-Aged Residents
- Millennial-Aged Residents
- Underserved and disadvantaged communities
If you are interested, please submit a brief letter of interest to Scott Rust, Deputy Finance Director, at scottr@gjcity.org. Please include the following in your letter:
- Name and contact information (mailing address, phone number and email address);
- Why you are interested in serving on this Committee;
- Interests, experience, and/or education relevant to the Committee’s purpose;
- Any other relevant information to be considered.
All letters of interest must be received by July 30th. Letters will be reviewed by City Council for consideration of appointment to this Committee. For additional information, call Scott Rust at 970-256-4025 or email him at scottr@gjcity.org.
To review the provisions of these funds, Treasury has created a webpage at the address below. This page includes an overview of SLFRF funds, FAQs, and other important resources:
https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds
Media Contact: Kevin Keane, Communications Specialist| 970-244-1507 or kevinke@gjcity.org