AGENDA CATEGORY: General Business
SUBJECT:
Title
Resolutions of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Erie Authorizing the Town Administrator to Execute Agreements for the Allocation/Sharing of CARES Act Funding through Boulder County and Weld County
Body
DEPARTMENT: Administration
PRESENTER: Malcolm Fleming, Town Administrator
TIME ESTIMATE: 20 minutes
only required for non-consent items
FISCAL INFORMATION: N/A
Cost as Recommended: Revenue of up to $1.1 million
Balance Available: NA
Budget Line Item Number: To be determined
New Appropriation Required: Will be necessary as part of the Supplemental Budget Amendment
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Approve the two separate Resolutions authorizing the Town Administrator to execute the separate Collaboration Agreements with Boulder County and Weld County relating to the distribution of CARES/Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRVF) money.
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
On May 18, 2020, Governor Polis signed Executive Order D2020 070, the CARES Act, to establish the Coronavirus Relief fund (CRVF). Distributions from the CRVF are intended to provide funding for pandemic expenses to the counties and municipalities that didn't receive any direct distribution from the Federal CARES Act. Through the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) this fund will reimburse costs to counties and municipalities for:
1. Necessary expenditures incurred due to the COVID-19 public health emergency (COVID-19 emergency);
2. Expenditure that were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act) for the State; and
3. Expenditures that were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020 and ends on December 30, 2020.
Boulder County expects to be allocated $27.9 million from the CVRF, and Weld County expects $27.8. DOLA is requiring counties to allocate the funding based on collaboration agreements with the municipalities in the county. Since Erie is located in both Boulder and Weld Counties, we need to adopt agreements with both Counties.
In order to receive the funds, the counties and all municipalities must agree to an allocation method and sign the coloration agreement prior to the close of the opt-in period ending on July 7, 2020. The attached flowchart shows the process that each jurisdiction must accomplish by July 7, 2020.
Through discussions and communications with representatives from both counties and area municipalities, there is tentative agreement to guiding principles for the allocation process and proposed allocation methods for the respective counties.
The agreed on allocation process would take off the top the amount that covers expenses incurred by each county for county-wide incurred and anticipated costs associated with COVID response through their Public Health Departments, Human Services public assistance and job services for displaced workers, the operation of the countywide Emergency Operations Centers, and county jails. The remaining funds would then be allocated on a per capita basis for each jurisdiction, including the Counties’ unincorporated area population.
The Boulder County and Weld County Collaboration agreements are very similar. Among the provisions are the following:
• Each Party is individually responsible for completing all activities necessary to become eligible to receive reimbursement from the CARES Act funds. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of funds.
• Each Party assumes responsibility for ensuring the funds are only used for eligible expenses as determined by DOLA under the CARES act criteria.
• Each Party assumes responsibility for initially covering their own costs and awaiting reimbursement from DOLA. No Party will have any expectation of other parties to the agreement providing any money to another.
Under the tentative agreements, Erie can expect to receive a total of about $1.1 million in reimbursements for eligible expenses. To date, Town staff have identified about $675,000 in expenditures we believe will qualify for reimbursement, including the $300,000 for Emergency Small Business Assistance Grants, expenses of providing paid sick and paid family and medical leave to employees to enable compliance with COVID-19 public health precautions, expenditures for retrofitting facilities with protective screens and other measures, for disinfecting facilities, and for personal protective equipment and other expenditures to protect public and employee health from potential COVID-19 exposure. We anticipate additional expenditures for continuing to comply with State and County public health orders.
The attached agreements are the most recent drafts. However, there are still a few details to resolve on both agreements. For these reasons, staff recommends approving the attached Resolutions authorizing the Town Administrator to execute the final agreements once they are finalized.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution covering Boulder County Collaboration Agreement
2. Boulder County Collaboration Agreement
3. Resolution covering Weld County Collaboration Agreement
4. Weld County Collaboration Agreement
5. Flowchart showing process