Rescue funds on council agenda
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 11 months AGO
Tymesen
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | January 18, 2022 1:06 AM
The American Rescue Plan Act funding is on the agenda for the Coeur d’Alene City Council meeting at 6 tonight in the Library Community Room.
The ARPA was the subject of a City Council workshop that turned testy last Monday. About 20 people showed up and called on the council to reject the funds, about $8.5 million, saying it came with strings attached obligating it to the federal government.
Several council members said the group was loud, rude and disrupted the workshop.
The city received $4.3 million on May 19, 2021, from the U.S. Treasury under the American Rescue Plan Act and is scheduled to receive the same amount in May.
The funds can be used on eligible projects and purchases made within the period of March 3, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2024, according to the city agenda.
The city plans to use $4.5 million for police station expansion. It is considering several other “round one” options for using the remainder of the funds, including a network upgrade, $547,855; Western Star dump truck with plow and snow gate; $226,551; PPE supplies, $100,000 and message boards, $70,552.
City Administrator Troy Tymesen, said city staff reviewed the group's concerns regarding acceptance of the federal money. He wrote that as per the Code of Federal Regulations:
• 35.9. Compliance with Applicable Laws. A recipient must comply with all other applicable Federal statutes, regulations, and executive orders, and a recipient shall provide for compliance with the American Rescue Plan Act …"
"The City recognizes that all federal money comes with similar requirements to comply with federal law," Tymesen wrote. "The Texas and Montana Attorneys General have opined that the provision does not require recipients to violate state law. In addition, there is a serious question whether the federal government can enforce this, let alone require compliance with statutes, regulations, and executive orders issued after receipt of the federal monies."
In other business:
Under the consent calendar, the council will consider approval of the 34th and 35th additions to Coeur d’Alene Place.
It will also consider approval of agreements with ignite cda for the Museum of North Idaho Project and for seven Lake District projects for 2022.
Ignite cda, Coeur d'Alene's urban renewal agency, last year pledged $700,000 to site development work for the new home of the Museum of North Idaho.
Funds will be used for areas including landscaping, a parking lot, irrigation system and interpretative elements.
The money is coming from the Lake District, which expired at the end of 2021.
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