Title
Authorizing the City of Saint Paul to transfer $4,705,676 of Coronavirus Relief Fund aid between specific project accounts and adjust Police and Fire budgets to reflect CRF aid usage for public safety employee payrolls.
Body
WHEREAS, the CARES Act established the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) and the U.S. Department of Treasury distributed $150 billion in aid to eligible units of government, including the State of Minnesota; and
WHEREAS, on July 7, 2020 the State of Minnesota allocated $23,582,254 of CRF funds to the City of Saint Paul and the Council accepted and amended the budget in RES PH 20-173; and
WHEREAS, according to the CARES Act and the State of Minnesota, CRF funds may be used for expenses that are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019, were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020, and were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020, and ends on November 15, 2020; and
WHEREAS, according to guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, local governments are authorized to expend CRF funds for expenses including:
- medical expenses
- public health expenses
- payroll expenses for staff substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to COVID-19
- expenses to facilitate compliance with COVID-19
- economic support
- any other COVID-19-related expenses reasonably necessary to the function of government that satisfy the CRF eligibility criteria; and
WHEREAS, U.S. Treasury Department guidance on eligible CRF expenditures indicates that the work of firefighters, emergency medical responders, and police officers is presumed to be substantially dedicated to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is therefore eligible for CRF reimbursement; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul submitted an official request to Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) for an extension to spend CRF aid beyond the State’s imposed deadline of Nov. ...
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