At its meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 13, the Cloverdale City Council will be tackling a two-item regular agenda, one item of which will be to discuss how the council wants to spend the funds it received from the federal government as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The second is to consider adopting a resolution urging the Surface Transportation Board to reject an application for the North Coast Rail Company to acquire and rehabilitate the North Coast Rail Authority’s rail line between Eureka and Willits. The meeting, which will be held at 6 p.m., will be held both over Zoom and in person at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center.
To view the full agenda, go here.
The city is set to receive $2.07 million from the federal government as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The first half of the funds was received on July 13 and the second half is expected in July 2022.
According to the city council agenda, the city can use the funds for the following uses:
1. Support public health expenditures, by funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff.
2. Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector.
3. Serving the hardest-hit communities and families by using funds to address the disproportionate public health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hardest-hit communities, populations and households. Under this section, local governments may provide unique support on services within a Qualified Census Tract.
4. Replace lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic.
5. Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have borne and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors; and,
6. Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and to expand access to broadband internet.
According to the city’s funding plan for the money, for the whole of the $2.07 million, they’ve allotted the following amounts:
● One time bonuses for essential workers — $59,855.50
● Economic impacts (office staff at $257,323.80, Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce agreement at $75,000, Cloverdale Senior Center at $15,000) — $347,323.80
● Water, Sewer, Broadband (Installing fiber to City Hall, Police Department and Corp Yard at $162,000; Stormdrain installation at Thyme Square at $250,000; Replace water meters and registers, citywide or other Capital Improvement Plan project at $850,000) — $1.262 million
● Public Health Expenditures (COVID supplies at $33,191.20; employee COVID testing for non-vaccinated employees at $94,080; Reach for Home reimbursement for homeless services at $10,000; Citrus Fair expenses related to opening as a temporary evacuation point at $5,000; audio/video upgrades at City Hall at CPAC at $30,000; PD-COVID-related COVID-19 safety at $150,000) — $322,271.20
● Household (six years of utility bill relief) — $30,000
At the meeting, the council is being asked to either approve the proposed expenditure plan and direct city staff to bring back a budget amendment based on the plan, to amend the expenditure plan and direct staff to bring back a budget amendment or to provide alternate direction to staff.
Additionally, toward the end of the meeting the council will discuss submitting a letter of support encouraging the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to adopt Laura’s Law.
