Mckean County Rolls Out Recovery Grant Programs
President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into law in March 2021, designating $350 billion nationwide to support the immediate pandemic response, address economic fallout, and lay the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery. The Federal ARPA funds flow through states to counties and municipalities as State and Local Federal Recovery Funds (SLFRF).
The COVID-19 public health crisis and resulting economic crisis have put state, local, and Tribal governments under unprecedented strain. The SLFRF program provides governments across the country with the resources needed to fight the pandemic and support families and businesses struggling with public health and economic impacts, maintaining vital public services, and building a strong, resilient, and equitable recovery by making investments that support long-term growth and opportunity. Recipients of SLFRF funds may use the funds to replace lost public sector revenue, respond to the farreaching public health and negative economic impacts of the pandemic, provide premium pay for essential workers, and also invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.
National Association of Counties President, Larry Johnson stated “For the past two years, counties have served on the front lines of our nation’s response to the pandemic…the American Rescue Plan’s direct, flexible aid has been instrumental in our ability to respond to the pandemic, save lives, and strengthen local and national economies. It allows us to….make transformational investments in our communities. We simply would not be positioned to make these investments without the American Rescue Plan.”
Locally, the far-reaching effects of the pandemic have had a significant impact in Mckean County. Since receiving approximately $7.8 million in SLFRF funds, the Mckean County Commissioners and county staff have been thoughtfully gathering information to properly prioritize the most effective and intentional uses of these funds.
The Mckean County Commissioners are pleased to announce that SLFRF funds will become available to assist county-affiliated agencies, municipalities, small businesses, and non-profits through the county’s new Recovery Grant Program. Mckean County Commissioner Chairman, Tom Kreiner, stated, “The overall goal of the American Rescue Plan is to mitigate the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this time of recovery and moving forward, Mckean County is pleased to offer SLFRF resources to support programs and projects that address the needs of our local communities.”
The Mckean County Recovery Grant Program will provide for a one-time infusion of financial resources to eligible organizations to meet pandemic recovery needs and to rebuild the local economy. It is important to note that the intent of the Recovery Grant Program is to provide grants to organizations that identify a problem-specific need within the county’s small businesses, municipalities, and nonprofit agencies, and thoughtfully provide a solution to that need. Mckean County Commissioner, Carol Duffy, indicated, “The focus of this particular grant program is not merely providing funds to organizations for revenue loss or to cover regular operating costs, but to invest in programs or projects that can demonstrate measurable, sustainable, collaborative, and lasting improvements for small businesses, municipalities, and ultimately, in the lives of Mckean County residents.”
In addition to the Recovery Grant Program, the Commissioners are making investments to improve emergency services communications throughout the county, leverage other funding resources for transportation needs, incentivize an increase in trained
EMS workers by supporting training efforts, provide resources to the county industrial development council for a revolving loan fund, and continue to work on county broadband availability. In addition, the county has hired an ARPA Coordinator to manage the five-year SLFRF funds, provide transparency and accountability for those funds, and to explore ways to tap into other related funding sources that may address issues such as highway and road infrastructure, homelessness and housing security, mental and behavioral health, water and sewer infrastructure, public health concerns, food insecurity, job recruitment and retention, public safety, tourism and hospitality, economic and workforce development, and business and industry recruitment/retention to the county.
“Small businesses and municipalities will need to follow the process that has been set up to apply for Recovery Grant funding. First, these organizations will need to submit a Letter of Intent Form. These forms will be reviewed, evaluated, and prioritized by the ARPA Planning Committee and successful organizations will then be invited to submit full applications to the Recovery Grant Program”, said Commissioner Cliff Lane.
The County will roll out the Recovery Grant programs in a phased approach. At this time, the County will begin to accept Letter of Intent Forms from eligible small businesses and municipalities to signify their interest and their intent to apply to the Recovery Grant program. Municipalities and small businesses can find more information about the Recovery Grant Program on the County's website, www. mckeancountypa.org, on the COVID-19 Resources & Information tab or by contacting Ann Robinson, ARPA Coordinator, at Arpmckeanco@mckeancountypa.org. The letter of intent forms from small businesses and municipalities are due to the County by Friday, August 5, 2022.
Eligible non-profit organizations will be invited to submit applications for grant funding in the near future through a partnership formed by the Mckean County Commissioners and the Mckean County Community Foundation. Interested non-profits will need to apply through the Mckean County Community Foundation by visiting the foundation's website, www.mckeancountyfoundation.org.