More than $113 million funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) are infusing Ottawa, Allegan and Muskegon counties with new projects and services that will enable them to weather the recent economic upheaval due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The wide range of projects and services include expansion of broadband, family and student counseling, affordable housing, water quality, remodel of a hall of justice, and business stabilization. among others.
Here’s a breakdown on the amount of money each county receives, how they plan to spend the ARPA funds, and how they determined which expenditures were a priority.
Allegan County
Total funds received: $22,935,850
How Allegan plans to spend the ARPA funds: broadband service, water quality and availability, and student/family counseling for needs stemming from the pandemic.
General list of ARPA expenditures: To date, $140,000 has been spent on broadband project management services and student/family counseling. Anticipated expenditures for remaining funds are as follows:
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Robert Sarro- A request for proposal is seeking broadband service providers to expand service within Allegan County. ARPA funds will be used to offset initial capital costs and to provide project management services.
- Direct assistance to local units for broadband and water infrastructure has also been awarded using county ARPA funds.
- Student/family counseling services provided through a third-party independent contract remains the sole expenditure for this item.
- Examples of potential expenditures related to water quality and availability include well monitoring, potential development of a water-related database shared across local units, independent study of the status of water within Allegan County, education/outreach, personnel services, and development of a master plan. Assistance for infrastructure improvements also has been awarded to local units.
How spending priorities were determined: “Public notice was posted and public hearings were held requesting input and ideas for use of ARPA funds,” says Robert J. Sarro, Allegan County administrator.
“The input was compiled and presented to the Board of Commissioners for final determination. Public workgroups were established for broadband and water to steer those projects.”
Ottawa County
Total funds received: $57 million
How Ottawa plans to spend the ARPA funds: The county formed an ARPA Task Force composed of representatives from the county, local units of government and nonprofit organizations to provide the Board of Commissioners with recommendations.
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John ShayThe county has been soliciting applications in five categories: county initiatives, broadband, affordable housing, human/social service needs, and business stabilization.
Applications for the first-round of funding were due Sept. 30. The ARPA Task Force will review the projects in the affordable housing, human/social needs and business stabilization categories and make recommendations to the county’s Finance Committee, which will then make recommendations to the Board of Commissioners for final approval. Applications under the county initiatives and broadband categories will be sent to the Finance Committee and then to the Board of Commissioners for final approval.
General list of ARPA expenditures: To date, the county has awarded $2 million for an affordable housing project in the city of Holland; $1.5 million for an affordable housing project in Spring Lake; $2 million for an eviction-diversion program sponsored by the 58th District Court and Good Samaritans; and about $47,000 to hire a firm to provide pre-engineering work to construct a middle-mile broadband network in areas of the county that have no broadband coverage or are underserved.
How spending priorities were determined: “There are several criteria upon which applications will be reviewed, but the idea is to spend the funds on one-time projects or on programs that can sustain themselves when the ARPA funds are exhausted and that have a significant impact on reducing or eliminating long-standing problems in the community,” says John Shay, Ottawa County administrator.
Muskegon County
Total funds received: Approximately $33.7 million
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Mark EisenbarthHow Muskegon plans to spend the ARPA funds: So far, the Board of Commissioners has approved projects on a case-by-case basis. The board has not decided how to spend the remaining funds.
General list of ARPA expenditures: Expenditures already approved include, but are not limited to, a new dishwasher for the jail; management software for the county clerk; circuit courtroom recording equipment; and Marquette Campus closing costs, survey, and facility purchase. Proposed spending includes a wage study; Marquette Campus reconfiguration; Hall of Justice sixth-floor remodel and 4th-floor repairs.
How spending priorities were determined: “The board is presented with a proposal and they collectively decide,” says Mark Eisenbarth, Muskegon County administrator. “It appears their priority is to focus on capital items that would otherwise need to be covered by the general fund.”
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