Title
Authorizing the City of Saint Paul to transfer $19,915,912 of the Coronavirus Relief Fund aid to specific accounts for COVID expenses.
Body
WHEREAS, the CARES Act established the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) and the Department of Treasury has 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, the 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, to facilitate its response to and mitigation of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the City identified the following areas of need that meet the CRF eligibility criteria, for a total of $19,915,912:
Existing and Projected City COVID Expenses
- Incurred and projected COVID costs for payroll and leave: $8,877,161
- No contact water valve replacement: $241,715
- PPE cache for first responders, city employees, and people experience unsheltered homelessness: $709,000
- Parks outdoor space access: $20,000
- Library, Water, and Police remote work access: $398,232
- HVAC improvements in city buildings: $2,377,000
Economic Recovery
- Business and cultural organization assistance: $3,500,000
- Digital divide: $1,000,000
- Workforce support: $1,500,000
- Mutual aid platform: $40,000
- Library COVID response: $52,804
Support of People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness: $1,000,000
Secure Payment and Form Submission: $100,000
Community COVID Testing and Prevention Messaging Program: $100,000, and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 10.07.4 of the City Charter, the Mayor recommends the transfer of unencumbered CRF appropriations between departments, as outlined in the attached financial analysis, which is consistent with the City’s plan to shift CRF funds to project-specific accounts for spending; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the City Council of Saint Paul does hereby authorize the City to transfer $19,915,912 from the CRF holding account to project-specific accounts as outlined in the attached financial analysis.
Financial Analysis
See Attachment.