American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
The American Rescue Plan Act, or “ARPA”, was signed into law on March 11, 2021. This Act was enacted to combat the public health, economic, and other negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This package channeled funding into Health Care, Education, and Financial Assistance programs. ARPA also distributed approximately $362 billion to State and Local Governments to fund internal projects and eligible community partner programs.
Use of these funds must comply with regulations issued by the United States Department of the Treasury. These rules identified four categories of eligible uses:
- Responding to the Public Health and Economic Impacts of COVID-19;
- Premium Pay for Eligible Employees;
- Replacing Lost Public Sector Revenue;
- Water, Sewer, and Broadband Infrastructure.
Great Falls was allocated $19.5 million through ARPA. This apportionment was split into two deposits, or “tranches”. The City received the first tranche in May 2021 and the second in June 2022.
The Great Falls City Manager’s office requested project proposals from all the City Departments in 2021. These projects were reviewed by city employees for eligibility and prioritized by the appropriate department heads. This updated list was presented for consideration to the Great Falls City Commission. The City Commission ultimately identified a list of priorities from among these potential programs. Updated cost and bid estimates are being collected for further consideration and final approval by the Commission.
This “Tier One” group of projects will increase the capacity and effectiveness of several City departments and facilities. Municipal Court, Fire, and Police proposals have the potential to increase the effectiveness and range of the Great Falls Public Safety and Emergency Response efforts. Civic Center projects will improve the ventilation, accessibility, and meeting capacity of the City’s central building. The Great Falls Animal Shelter proposal would provide funding to bring the Cattery, an expansion fueled by the community, to a higher level of operational capacity. Finally, Network Monitoring and Parking Tower Security Camera installations would deliver a higher level of security to City operations and parking structures. More information on these programs can be found here.
On December 6, 2022 the Great Falls City Commission voted to use $2,884,557.00 fund 14 proposals submitted by local organizations. These projects will benefit numerous industries and population groups in Great Falls. These awards will reduce the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the fields of tourism, hospitality, and child care. This will also increase job training and behavioral wellness services offered in the City. Please view the “Projects” page for more information!
