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ARPA Mtg Minutes 09-30-2021CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH Department of Economic Development and Strategy American Rescue Plan Act Public Input Meeting September 30, 2021 - 6:00PM City Hall Commission Chambers 100 East Ocean Avenue Virtual Attendance Option https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5585223717907790351 I. Opening and Introductions The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. John McNally welcomed attendees and reviewed the housekeeping items for virtual attendance. David Scott, Director of Economic Development and Strategy, welcomed the in-person and virtual attendees to the first of two public input meetings for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). He confirmed all input and feedback from the meeting will be collected and presented to the City Commission during their workshop on November 16th from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. The public can also complete the online surveys, available on the City website, hard copies available at the meeting, or from the QR code that is located around the City. II. Power Point Presentation Carisse LeJeune presented information about the American Rescue Plan Act. The ARPA was signed into law on March 11, 2021. The U.S. Treasury Department established four objectives to make funds available. The funding objectives were to support urgent Covid-19 response; replace lost revenue for eligible state, local, territorial, and tribal governments; economic stabilization for businesses and households; and address the systematic public health and economic challenges and inequities. ARPA funding provides $350 billion in funding for states, counties, municipalities, and tribes and territories. The U.S. Treasury issued $13.6 million in funding to the City of Boynton Beach in two parts. The first part allocated was $6,823,952 and was received on May 19, 2021. The second deposit will be received by May 2022. The Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR), outlining the rules and regulations for spending the funds. The categories that make up the spending framework are: Support public health expenditures for Covid-19; address the negative economic impact to support families, small business and hardest hit industries; replace public sector revenue; and invest in large-scale water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure. The City will distribute the funds based among the categories and identified needs and negative impacts. The City has been referring to these categories as the “five buckets.” Ms. LeJeune stated the City will determine the funding amounts in each category based on projects and services that American Rescue Plan Act Public Input Meeting September 30, 2021 Page 2 are identified with the greatest needs. Funding can be used to support revenue loss, which will address the impact of the City’s ability to provide vital public services such as Police, Fire, EMS, and Sewer and Water. The City can use a formula, determined by the U.S. Treasury, to replace lost revenue with ARPA funds. In order to support public h ealth expenditures, funding can be used for Covid-19 mitigation and containment services including vaccinations, testing, contract tracing, and prevention in key settings. Additionally, t he funds can be used to meet behavioral health, including mental health and substance abuse needs. Funding can also be used to cover staffing, provided they worked on the Covid-19 response. To address negative economic impact, the funding can provide assistance with food, housing, utilities, internet access, job training, and other needs. Small businesses are able to utilize funding for grants and loans to mitigate financial hardship, Covid-19 mitigation efforts, and technical assistance. The funding can be used to reach disproportionately affected communities which includes utilizing the funding to invest in large-scale water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure. Providing enhanced compensation, called Premium Pay, to essential workers is another opportunity to utilize funding. The U.S. Treasury Department has developed the definition of an essential worker. Ms. LeJeune stressed the importance of gathering public input for transparency and accountability. She shared the City of Boynton Beach is responsible for assessing and determining whether a program or service responds to the specific criteria based on the U.S. Treasury Department’s guidelines. The first step is to identify the need or negative impact. The second step is to identify how a program, service or intervention addresses the need or negative impact. The third step is to find community partners or agencies to assist the City with programs, services, or interventions. Ms. LeJeune showed examples of two current City programs and outlined the community survey that was created to assess and identify the greatest unmet needs. The survey is available in English, Spanish, and Creole. The survey can be accessed on the City website, Facebook, Instagram, or via the QR code. Hard copies of the survey can also be found at the Library and staff are available to help any person complete it. Ms. LeJeune announced the next public input meeting will be held on October 28 at 6:00 p.m. at Fire Station 3. That meeting is an in-person meeting only and a virtual option will be not available. There is also a City Commission workshop, open to the public, on November 16. At this meeting, the Commission will discuss projects that have been identified by the surveys and public meetings. Additional information is available on the City’s website www.boynton-beach.org/arpa, by calling 561-742-6014, or emailing arpa@bbfl.us. American Rescue Plan Act Public Input Meeting September 30, 2021 Page 3 III. Public Comments & Questions Mr. Scott opened the floor for any questions, comments, or suggestions. Each person will have up to three minutes for comments. Mr. Scott noted the in-person attendees will go first, followed by the virtual attendees. Brenda Lee Williams suggested the questions were too broad and vague to elicit valuable input. She expressed concerns on the definition of an essential worker and what the tax ramifications will be for those who receive funding. She believes, historically, people who are most impacted generally receive the least number of services available. She shared her experience working with a faith-based CDC that used to receive a reoccurring City grant, which is no longer available. She emphasized looking at the historical data and previous programs for funding, as opposed to reinventing the wheel, when programs already existed that were providing assistance to Boynton Beach citizens. Mr. Scott replied that Keturah Joseph, with the faith-based CDC, is already one of the partners and they are currently working on a rental assistance program with her. Ms. LeJeune shared that all the survey comments are being inputted into a spreadsheet and then sorted within the five bucket categories. The public comments will allow the City Commission to see the greatest needs for prioritization. There is also a comment box on the survey to add any additional information. Mr. Scott noted no suggestion is too small. Ernest Mignoli suggested housing is important and noticed in the public records a high rate of poverty (17%) in the area. He maintained there is a population of citizens who cannot attend the public meetings for a variety of reasons, and they should be the communities that are receiving the funding, as opposed to those with a higher socio-economic status. Mr. Scott agreed with the comments and confirmed one of the key focus areas of the ARPA plan is to address the most impacted communities, which are typically those that are underserved. Mr. Scott also explained the City Commission asked this group to lead a Racial and Social Equity assessment for Boynton Beach. The data from that assessment showed high food insecurity, mental health challenges for seniors during isolation, and the ongoing need for job training. FIU is the partner on the assessment. Ms. LeJeune responded that the upcoming stakeholder meeting is a non-profit one and all non-profits are invited to the table. There is interest in speaking specifically with the non- profits who provide services to those who are disproportionally affected by Covid -19. Dr. Ellen Jones joined virtually to ask whether the $13.6 million funding was for a two-year time period. Ms. LeJeune clarified the City has four years to encumber the funds and projects need to be built out and completed by 2026. Dr. Jones asked how much of the funding has been spent to date. The Director of Finance confirmed approximately $1.8 million has been set aside for projects to date and will be updated on the website. Sandra Harvey was invited to share publicly but was experiencing technical difficulties. American Rescue Plan Act Public Input Meeting September 30, 2021 Page 4 Batia Lowenberg suggested there are literacy issues and challenges for the children she works with at the Boys and Girls Club. She suggested an assessment to determine the literacy needs and deficiencies. She also said an investment in local arts and artists can drive tourism and hospitality. Ms. Lowenberg recommended a literacy-based art project would be a good use of funding. Pam O’Brien, President and CEO of ABDA, shared the impact of Covid-19 on survivors of domestic violence. Her organization has seen increased numbers of domestic violence situations, and have responded by expanding services, both in the shelter and outreach programs, and staff are operating 24/7. She noted the most recent FBI report confirmed the highest level of murders, many due to domestic violence, since they have been keeping records. Mr. Scott agreed and noted the increase of domestic violence situations was recognized early on in the pandemic and continues to be a problem. Sandra Harvey was invited to share again but was still experiencing technical difficulties. Ray W hitely, Assistant Pastor at Healing Hands Ministry and Boynton Beach Coalition of Clergy, brought up the necessity to stabilize essential workers in the medical field. He specifically noted building infrastructure to prevent people from walking away from the industry. He suggested the City also needs to build capacity of the area organizations to continue the work, even after the ARPA funding runs out. In his experience, churches often carry the weight in black and brown communities. Ms. LeJeune reiterated that meeting with non-profits, analyzing survey results, and hearing from the public is the only way they will be able to identify the most immediate needs and negative impacts. She also offered this is a unique opportunity to partner with non-profit and social service organizations. In response to Mr. Wylie’s follow up question, Mr. Scott replied that the clergy would be invited to attend the non-profit meeting. Mr. McNally shared a question that was submitted anonymously. The person asked where someone would go for rental assistance. John Durgan, Economic Development Manager, explained Palm Beach County currently has a rental and utility assistance program and have partnered with a number of non-profits to administer the program. Pathways to Prosperity is the non-profit in Boynton Beach where a person would contact for assistance. Their phone number is 561-903-7743 and staff can help a caller determine if they are eligible for assistance. Mr. McNally shared an anonymous question about where a person can go for food assistance. Mr. Durgan noted the City has a partnership with “Feeding South Florida.” They host a food distribution every Thursday at the Hester Community Center. Their phone number is 561-331- 5441. Mr. McNally shared an anonymous question asking what the City is doing to create more affording housing. Mr. Scott replied that the Commission will be looking at the results of a housing study at their next meeting. Their goal is to continue to develop strategies for affordable housing, with particular focus on legacy residents. He also confirmed the Community Redevelopment Agency is currently working on an affordable housing project. American Rescue Plan Act Public Input Meeting September 30, 2021 Page 5 Mr. McNally read comments of support made online by Ms. Lathan and Ms. Chuisano. Ms. Stein asked if ARPA funding can be used for cemetery upkeep. Ms. LeJeune noted, based on the U.S. Treasury’s Interim Final Rule, cemetery maintenance is not an eligible use of funds, but she will pass on this comment to the City Manager. Courtlandt McQuire, 506 Whispering Pines, is a small business owner and Chairman for Public Places, a local arts board. He shared their Arts Manager is crafting a program integrating arts with small businesses, which will administer grants to artists and fabricators to create displays in corridors that need an uplift. The art will be displayed for up to twelve months. He requested an additional funding of $50,000 to expand the project. Margaret Newton would like to see a digital inclusion strategy, including broadband throughout the entire city, in order to provide equal access for all. Ms. LeJeune reiterated one of the goals is broadband internet service to unserved and underserved households. There has also been ongoing discussion with the County and school districts. Mr. McNally confirmed the December 7 Commission meeting will include an agenda item addressing the City’s digital inclusion program. Mr. Scott shared Economic Development also recognizes the importance of digital inclusion for skill seekers and telehealth. Mr. McNally shared an additional online comment from Sandra Harvey regarding food trucks. Brenda Williams asked whether the City participated in the bidding on properties in Cherry Hill and whether they won the bids. Mr. Scott confirmed the City partnered with the CRA and was successful in winning the bids on a few properties. More information will be shared in the near future about the number of properties secured and plans for the properties. Vice Mayor Woodrow Hay thanked everyone for their participation. He reminded attendees of the “Feeding South Florida” program on Thursdays from 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. and asked people to spread the word. He encouraged people to submit further comments to make sure the funds are spent properly and addressing the needs of the City. Mr. McNally read one additional comment of gratitude from Ms. Lowenberg. Mr. Scott thanked Mr. McNally and the staff for their hard work. He reminded attendees that recommendations will be made to the City Commission on November 16. Mr. McNally said the recorded version of this meeting will be posted to the City’s YouTube channel and the link can be located at www.boynton-beach.org. IV. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. [Minutes prepared by T. Baclawski, Prototype, Inc.]