American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
On March 11, 2021, the federal government passed a $1.9 trillion federal economic stimulus bill intended to build on the 2020 CARES Act. ARPA included direct benefits to individuals and families, separate from funding to government agencies.
The City of Ferndale was allocated $4.15 million total in two equal “tranches:” one in 2021, and the second and final in 2022. Funds must be expended by December 31, 2024.
Guidance on expenditures has been provided by the US Treasury Department, and the City is complying with all relevant guidelines and best practices.
At its most basic level, eligible ARPA expenditures include:
- COVID response (similar to CARES, generally associated with the direct response to the pandemic and including such things as PPE, assistance to heavily impacted populations, business assistance, social assistance, education assistance, etc.)
- Essential workers response
- Government services/reduction in revenue
- Investments in infrastructure (water, sewer, stormwater infrastructure, broadband)
Below are a number of funding proposals for how to spend the ARPA funds. Some will be requests will be made to the County, some will be considered as part of Ferndale’s budget. This webpage is intended as a repository for all the ARPA related information.
ARPA Expenditures Approved by
Ferndale City Council
Note: All of these initiatives are supported by COVID relief funds and do not impact the City’s general fund.
Signed contracts relating to ARPA with partner organizations can be found online here.
01-18-22 – Funding an executive director position with Ferndale Community Services as well as support for various programs that are associated with COVID response and/or other ARPA-eligible expenditures for a total of $400,000.
02-07-22 – Funding an executive director position for the Ferndale Downtown Association ($400,000 over a multiple-year period) as well as funding for business loans and grants to be administered by the Main Street Association ($200,000 each for existing and incoming business support, plus $50,000 for a Downtown Improvement Fund), for a total of $850,000.
02-07-22 – Business Interruption Grants. The City has allocated $200,000 to the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce to distribute as business interruption grants for Ferndale businesses impacted by COVID-related closures. The city anticipates that a majority of the grants will be targeted at businesses with 20 or less employees.
04-04-22 – Funding for the Miracle Food Network to complete the restoration of the kitchen space within their facility for a total of $111,000.
04-04-22 – Allocated $40,000 to the Ferndale Utilities Fund, as administered by Ferndale Community Services to assist residents impacted by COVID-19 with their utility bills.
06-21-22 – Allocate a total of $200,000 for improvements and funding for the Pioneer Village facilities and associated organizations. $150,000 for cabin restoration and $25,000 each to the Old Settlers Association and the Ferndale Heritage Society for tourism marketing.
07-18-22 – Allocate $100,000 for the design of a new Pioneer Village stage.
08-01-22 – Allocate $150,000 to support Ferndale Youth Sports, distributed over three years with annual check-ins required.
01-17-23 – Distribute $85,000 to Ferndale Community Services to fund their utility assistance program through 2026.
03-06-23 – Allocate an additional $150,000 to the Ferndale Downtown Association to distribute for incoming or expanding downtown businesses for the purpose of offsetting or reducing utility connection fees.