According to Lieberman, the funds will be shifted and reallocated to different programs and municipalities depending on need. If a business received other federal aid, it may impact their ability to receive the countys CARES Act funds. If local news is important to you, consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Gainesville Sun. The states just starting to spend their ERAP 2 money. However, these rates are merely the county managers recommendation; the county commission is tasked with setting the tentative millage rates during its July 14 meeting. So Im considered as a holdover tenant.. $250,000 crisis intervention from trauma as a result of COVID-19. So I was $15,000 behind so ERAP really helped me out, said Alachua County resident, June King. RELATED STORY: Families in need can receive up to $15,000 for rental assistance in Alachua County. Nora is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org. Rental assistance program funds are expected to run out in April. Also included in the plan is $2 million for medical expenses such as costs to the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County for testing, contact tracing and case management. Jim Harriot, deputy county manager for public works and growth management, said the county is already looking into the costs of adding ionization technology in the HVAC system, which has been used elsewhere to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. All responses will be confidential, district officials said. Update or Upgrade Your Sustaining Gift Today! In total, 178,738 people have been vaccinated, that makes up 69% of the eligible. use federal COVID-19 relief dollars to cover any funding losses from the state . Commissioner Mike Byerly said getting money into the pockets of laid off residents should be a priority. "It was a priority of this commission thatmoney be distributed directly to our local nonprofit agencies because A:they have a relationship and proven track record with serving folks in the community that needs it most and B:they can do things the city simply can not," Poe said. Alachua County will receive 25%. (March 11), Gainesville officials approve $7 million in pandemic relief to dozens of local nonprofits, Alachua County seeks community help to bridge digital divide by taking internet speed test, School board approves 4 of 11 math textbooks after DeSantis' crackdown on critical race theory, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. News about coronavirus in Florida and around the world is constantly emerging. Pandemic funds: 37 local nonprofits would receive federal pandemic grants under recommendation, Housing: As pandemic subsides, Alachua County's workforce is back but employers still staffing up, Development rejection: Alachua County Planning Commission votes down proposed development at West End Golf Club. Resident June King is a program recipient who said she had COVID-19 for six months working as a nurse but is now searching for a new home. $750,000 allocated to other medical expenses to include, but not be limited to: Expansion of testing sites and capabilities, Example: Tents with climate mitigation, testing kits, additional sites, Example: Decontamination units, overtime due to quarantine issues, drug costs, $1 million for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and medical supplies for public health and safety workers, Example: Masks, face shields, gowns, and similar items, $250,000 for disinfecting of public areas and facilities such as nursing homes, Example: Aerosol units, spray systems, and disinfecting products, $250,000 for quarantining health care and public safety officers, Example: First responders, law enforcement officers, and health personnel, $250,000 for preparing public buildings to serve customers. $800,000 maintaining the county jail, including as relates to sanitation and improvement of social distancing measures, to enable compliance with COVID-19 public health precautions. Alachua County will disburse $46.9 million in CARES Act funds for COVID-19 relief, and according to a new budget plan, property taxes in the county could soon be lowered, too. Poe said we did not specify that when asked which customers would first get the utility assistance, but he pointed out that Gainesville Regional Utilities staff is compiling a list of those who have requested COVID relief in the past. 4182 Federal Register/Vol. Id like to see this expedited because that flood of evictions is going to hit us any day, she said. Alachua County Public Schools on Tuesday announced its efforts to bridge the digital divide with money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which could potentially provide enough funding. Under the countys plan, eligible households may receive up to $5,000 to cover rent or mortgage, car, utility, phone and internet payments they are unable to cover. Shuping said the remaining $7.6 million or so will likely be allocated for public safety, such as overtime paid to sheriffs deputies. More than $1 million has also been distributed to area nonprofits thus far, including $130,000 to Grace Marketplace homeless shelter and $245,000 to the Arc of Alachua County, which aids people with developmental disabilities. Commissioners decided inpiduals will be able to apply for up to $5,000 (per household), a jump up from the plans initial proposal of $2,500. The ERA2 program was authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and provides $21.55 billion to assist eligible households with financial assistance, provide housing stability services, and as applicable, to cover the costs for other affordable rental housing and eviction prevention activities. Get the answers here, with data on cases and infection rates. Through a survey, commissioners have expressed very different views about how the American Rescue Plan dollars coming to the city should be spent. People who are past due on their utility bills will get financial assistance to help getthem caught up through a federal program to help communities recover from COVID-19. a $101.5 billion state budget in April, a nearly $10 billion increase in spending from the last fiscal year. High Springs requested about $100,000 and has received about $24,000. We particularly need to hear from the families of students who dont have access to the internet at home, either because they lack a device, connectivity, or both, Johnson said in a news release. We are hopeful that we have seen the worst of the pandemic, Lieberman said. Heres a breakdown of how the money is likely to be dispersed: individuals, $21.8 million; businesses, $2.8 million, not-for-profit assistance, $2.3 million; county government, $2.3 million; other government entities, $7.7 million; administration $2.4 million. Distribution will just be paused to make sure that each of the smaller perhaps less technology driven areas have a chance to get their applications in an processed.. Despite a year where the Covid-19 pandemic was a dominant theme, the Alachua County budget will increase nearly $78 Million from 2020. Archer also requested $58,000, Hawthorne $21,600 and Waldo $14,400. The nonprofit GNV4ALL, however, is based out of a residential address in Live Oak, Poe said, making it ineligible for the city's pandemic relieffunding. on March 23. News / dec 4, 2019 / 01:45 pm est. To be held in reserve for programs not yet determined and expenses not yet anticipated. These include maintaining the county jail, along with caring for the isolation and medical needs of the homeless population. May 1The Community Foundation of Frederick County is accepting online applications for music instruction scholarships through May 31. About $15 million is dedicated to small- and medium-sized business relief. Required by law to present a balanced budget, County Manager Michelle Liebermans budget proposal shows a budget increase of nearly $78 million for the 2022 fiscal year, including a $25 million increase in the general fund. The federal government will pay the vendors directly, Johnson said. Saco told commissioners last week thatshe understands that it takes time to approve of American Rescue Plan Act projects,but she said there are some immediate needs like utility assistance that need to be addressed quickly. The scholarships are funded by The Sperry L. Storm Memorial Scholarship Fund and The Guss Family Scholarship Fund for the Arts, two of more than 770 component funds of The Community Foundation of Frederick County. Officials also voted to discuss how to spend and split a remaining$18,000 pot of money between the organizations at next week's general policy meeting. Stephanie Bailes, CEO and executive director of the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention, appearedemotional before emphatically stating all the work Cade employees do in the community, including providing 900 community memberships, free classes at local YMCA locationsand hosting graduation for PACE Center for Girls. County commissioners unanimously approved a plan for staff to find a way to connect residents with their promised money. A mill is $1 out of every $1,000 of a propertys taxable value, and in Liebermans recommendation, the county would collect fewer mills for the two funds mentioned. The Act provided more than $2 trillion in funding for programs including, but not limited to, education, health and human services, labor, housing and agriculture. Other initiatives in the budget plan included raising the minimum wage for county workers from $14 to $14.50 an hour, continued construction of a county agricultural and equestrian center and development of new county infrastructure, such as an administration building to consolidate much of the countys downtown operations in a single location.. Even though the county has been able to increase its, WUFT 89.1 / 90.1 Featured Thank you Gifts. The Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) Program was approved by Congress as part of the rescue plan passed in 2021. However, only the first $2,500 will be guaranteed; the remaining aid that people apply for will be disbursed as it becomes available as funds are reevaluated and reallocated. But I would say that anybody who falls in that (COVID hardship) category could be eligible.. Alachua County Organization for Rural Needs Inc.'s ACORN medical and dental clinic, which is proposed to receive $64,598 . for the 2022 fiscal year showed an increase in revenue and spending. The first-round of grants will be up to $2,500 with the possibility of up to an additional $2,500 in the future as funding allows. About 53% of recipients livewithin Gainesville's city limits, while about a third live in unincorporated areas of the county. The longer we waitto get money in the hands of people, the worse those folks' situations will be, she said. Alachua County posts Cares Act Grant application link, Application is now live for the Alachua County Cares Act Grant, Rent, mortgage, utility, internet, phone and car payment assistance, Daycare assistance for school-aged children, if school attendance is limited, Documented issue related to COVID-19 (i.e. Source: www.diychatroom.com. In addition, the expenditures must not have been accounted for in the most recent budget approved as of March 27, the date the act was signed into law. At the House level, the bill passed 220-211, with every Republican and one Democrat voting against itbefore being signed into law by President Joe Biden. To qualify for assistance, a homeowner must: Own and occupy an eligible one- to four- unit primary residence Have experienced a COVID-19 related financial hardship, and have been unable to remain current on mortgage payments Meet household income limits Have been current on mortgage and property taxes as of January 2020 Guidelines Pennsylvania and its counties received approximately $1.3 billion total from both laws, to administer assistance to renters who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic insecurity. Source: www.ridgidforum.com. The United States Department of Treasury directly allocated the funds to states, and Florida received $1.2 billion to allocate to counties based on population. To keep up with the latest local news subscribe to our TV20 newsletterHEREand receive news straight to your email every morning. In response to the economic downturn, she recommended roll back rates for the countys general tax fund and the Municipal Services Taxing Units law enforcement fund. Even though the county has been able to increase its budget, it has incurred losses in some areas. https://www.wuft.org/news/files/2020/07/budget-audio-narration.mp3, Florida LGBTQ+ lawmaker to GOP: Im literally trying to exist, Eighth Circuit Court Judge Sean Brewer sworn in at investiture ceremony, Gainesville city commissioners seek clarity about Ironwood Golf Course finances, Gainesville City Commission votes to partially restore Boltin Center, Clinics Say Privacy Clause Protects Abortion Rights, Six former Florida Gators selected during NFL Draft, Hurricane Preparedness Week begins in Florida, The Point, May 1, 2023: Lawmakers approve change to resign-to-run law. Medical expenses will receive $2 million initially, with $1.25 million reserved for the Alachua County Department of Healths contact tracing specialists, epidemiologists and other medical staff. All rights reserved. A little over $3 million will be used for facilitating compliance with county health measures. In Alachua County, there were 0 newly reported COVID-19 cases and 0 newly reported COVID-19 deaths on Apr 17, 2023. Lieberman also unveiled the countys tentative budget plan for the fiscal year 2021, which was significantly influenced by the economic fallout of COVID-19. The vast majority of the funding $36.1 million will be reserved for relief grants to individuals and businesses. He wanted to see how the city could better supporta community ID program that was left off the list, as well as fund Gainesville for All's planned family learning center. HHS has allocated $170.9 billion of the total $178 billion authorized by Congress for this Fund as of September 2021, including $14.8 billion used to support vaccine development and distribution.. With documented loss of profits or employees remaining on payroll during closure, small businesses of 25 employees or less can receive up to $10,000 in aid, while medium businesses of 25 to 50 employees can receive up to $15,000. It's hard to stay on top of it all but Health News Florida can help. Ken Cornell, chair of the county commission, said this is considered an "emergency action" not an "emergency order," meaning the county can not enforce mandates like masking or vaccinations. The county will hire a third-party consultant, Carr, Riggs & Ingram LLC, to assist the county in managing and tracking fund disbursements. And that priority is reflected in this budget.. Commissioner Mike Byerly spurred the efforts to bump up the dollar limit for which people could apply. Alachua Board of County Commissioners / The Florida Channel The Alachua County Commission met via zoom Tuesday. School Board gets aid, but crowding, HyFlex teaching remain sore spots, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Students in kindergarten through 11th grade . Applicants must be permanent Alachua County residents and show proof of financial strains. Denials are usually due to lack of documentation that an economic hardship was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. During a board of county commissioners special meeting Tuesday, Alachua County Manager Michele Lieberman unveiled disbursement plans for the countys COVID-19 relief funds and a tentative budget plan for the fiscal year 2021, which starts Oct. 1. This is a start where we can immediately start working with those folks to get relief from those back payments and kind of get them current, he said. Our department manages the financial responsibilities for the State of Florida. Sexton said all of the CARES Act money was allocated and spent by December 2020. Award amounts will depend on the needs and size of the business. Likewise, itpreviously and narrowly was approved in the Senate along party lines with a 50-49 vote. She said the $500,000 could be used for rent money that the courts requirebe placed in escrow in eviction cases before a judge will even hear the cases. the commission agreed to spend up to $250,000 for COVID utility assistance and $500,000 for legal help to . Copyright 2020 WCJB. The funds would go to Three Rivers Legal Services, a nonprofit legal firm the cityalready has under contract. A mill is $1 out of every $1,000 of a propertys taxable value, and in Liebermans recommendation, the county would collect fewer mills for the two funds mentioned. The state. The money set aside made up nearly a quarter of the $32 million Gainesville received from theAmerican Rescue Plan Act. Tenants have to be at or below 80% of the average median income for Alachua County which is at $39,000 yearly for one person. Florida LGBTQ+ lawmaker to GOP: Im literally trying to exist, Eighth Circuit Court Judge Sean Brewer sworn in at investiture ceremony, Gainesville city commissioners seek clarity about Ironwood Golf Course finances, Gainesville City Commission votes to partially restore Boltin Center, Clinics Say Privacy Clause Protects Abortion Rights, Six former Florida Gators selected during NFL Draft, Hurricane Preparedness Week begins in Florida, The Point, May 1, 2023: Lawmakers approve change to resign-to-run law. About $2.3 million total is expected to be allocated to some 22 local nonprofits. Earlier CARES Act coverage: School Board gets aid, but crowding, HyFlex teaching remain sore spots. 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399, Copyright 2023 Florida Department of Financial Services. You're Shoring Up Your Hom. The relief plans remaining money will be allocated to things like medical expenses, public health expenses, and actions to facilitate compliance with COVID-19-related measures. Another $443,521 will go to Episcopal Children's ServicesHead Start Center program in east Gainesvillethat would provideearly learning for children from low-income families. Example: Modification to Air Handling System, and inmates per pod / cell. According to the budget document, this would be only the third time in the last 40 years that the millage rate dipped under eight mills.. However, only the first $2,500 will be guaranteed; the remaining aid that people apply for will be disbursed as it becomes available as funds are reevaluated and reallocated. Ten applicants were left off entirely, due to low priority scores, insufficient filing information or creating new services not previously established prior to the pandemic. The community level of Covid-19 in Alachua County is low based on cases and hospitalizations, according to the most recent update from the C.D.C. This includes $800,000 for sanitation and health improvements in the county jail, $500,000 for staff to enforce public ordinances, $500,000 for the homeless populations housing and medical needs and $500,000 for food delivery programs. Poe said its not likely that the $250,000 will be enough to cover the past-due amounts owed by those withCOVID hardships, but he supports increasing the assistance amount with the help of the federal funds. About $1 million will be available for the payroll expenses of county, municipal and constitutional officer employees working overtime in response to the pandemic. Gainesville has requested $2.9 million and has so far received about $749,000. The rest of the funds are split among residents living in other municipalities. All rights reserved. As part of our ongoingoversee and regularly report on this The Big Picture Six COVID-19 relief laws enacted in 2020 and 2021 provided about $4.6 trillion of funding for pandemic response and recovery. The $46.9 million in relief funds comes from the federal governments CARES Act, but Alachua County will receive the funds in quarters, starting with $11.7 million to be used for the next six months. Included in the Act was the creation of the Coronavirus Relief Fund, which provided $150 billion in direct assistance across the nation to State, territorial, local, and Tribal governments. "There was a focus on human services, per federal guidelines, with the greatest impact for those communities of city residents disproportionallyaffected by the pandemic," said Barzella Papa, director of the community foundation. Local share of FEMA expenses for county, municipalities, and constitutional officer employees responding to COVID-19. Other initiatives in the budget plan included raising the minimum wage for county workers from $14 to $14.50 an hour, continued construction of a county agricultural and equestrian center and development of new county infrastructure, such as an administration building to consolidate much of the countys downtown operations in a single location.. A majority of those funds about 72% are for Gainesville-based businesses. The county is responsible for ensuring that the CARES Act funds are used for necessary expenditures incurred due to COVID-19. 86, No. 20% of this will be available during the first round of the countys CARES Act funding. And we are looking forward to tackling the challenges of the next year as we continue to build and strengthen partnerships because we are better together., Tags 2021 Budget 2022 2022 Budget Alachua County Budget Alachua County Comission budget CARES Act Property Value Increase, The Gainesville City Commission unanimously voted Thursday to spend $5.6 million on a partial restoration . Bread of the Mighty Food Banks mobile pantryprogram will get $477,534; Catholic Charities' homeless prevention program will see$409,270;Peaceful Paths domestic violence program will get $491,000. For my senior honors project, I decided to highlight this piece of local history and celebrate this underappreciated instrument. Lieberman also unveiled the countys tentative budget plan for the fiscal year 2021, which was significantly influenced by the economic fallout of COVID-19. The crawl space scooter is built with 1/4 high grade. In July 2020 the county received $46 million from the CARES Act. Alachua County will receive 25% of its aid package, about $11.7 million, in the first round of fund dispersals. The funds, however, were not intended to actas a stop-gap forstruggling organizations or programs prior to the pandemic, nor help organizations move funding around to pay for other aspects of theiroperation. It is clear to me that building and nurturing strong partnerships within our community is a commission priority, Lieberman said. In response to the economic downturn, she recommended roll back rates for the countys general tax fund and the Municipal Services Taxing Units law enforcement fund. $2 million for Medical Expenses $1,250,000 allocated to the Alachua County Department of Health for contact tracing specialists, epidemiologists, and related support staff for testing, tracing, case management, and containment of COVID-19. GRUdid not have readily available the exact dollar figureof what is owed by only those city customers who had requested COVID hardship relief in the past, Warm said in a text message on Tuesday.

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