Two Final Community Forums This Week!
Kent County's Community Engagement Process For Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
The Board of Commissioners wants to hear from as many people as possible about this one-time infusion of funds that will have a lasting impact on residents and businesses in Kent County. The Priorities & Ideas Survey will close this Friday with the Proposal Form closing on July 15.
Community Forums
Kent County is hosting a series of meetings where members of the community can learn more about ARPA funding eligibility and priorities. The last two meeting will take place:
- Tuesday, June 28 ∙ LINC Up ∙ 1167 Madison Ave SE ∙ Grand Rapids, MI 49507 ∙ 6:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 29 ∙ Kelloggsville High School Auditorium ∙ 4787 Division Ave S ∙ Wyoming, MI 49548 ∙ 6 p.m.
Priorities & Ideas Survey
A convenient online survey is available for residents, we are collecting community opinions and general ideas for the use of Kent County’s ARPA funds. Community members are encouraged to rank the five priority areas.
This survey is estimated to take 10 minutes to complete and will soon be available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Printed copies of the survey are available by calling the Board of Commissioners Office at 616-632-7582. The survey closes on Friday, July 1.
ARPA Funds Proposal Form
This form is where community members or organizations can submit an ARPA proposal funding request for their program. Applicants will be asked a series of questions about the work or project they’d like funded, including how their project will benefit the community, project costs and organizational capacity. The proposal form will soon be available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Vietnamese. This form closes on Friday, July 15.
Please note: We anticipate funding requests will exceed our ARPA allocation. Therefore, we encourage residents and community organizations to continue seeking alternative funding sources for their programs, proposals, and ideas.
Website
A dedicated website – KentCountyARPA.com – outlines where and how the County’s ARPA dollars are being spent. Visitors can sign up for future updates, get information on community meetings, and review the County’s performance reports. Visitors can also find a link to the community survey and to the form where they can submit project funding proposals. More information on the survey and proposal form is outlined below. Finally, the site will soon have a link to a registration page for suppliers and available bid opportunities.
Background
Under the ARPA, passed by the federal government in March 2021, eligible state, local, territorial, and tribal governments received federal aid to respond to the public health and economic impacts created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Board of Commissioners developed five key areas for this investment:
- Community Health
- Investing in new and existing mental and physical health programs for the community such as mental health crisis support and removing lead from homes.
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Quality of Life
- Long-term quality of life improvements for our community such as parks and riverfront enhancements, and family and visitor entertainment attractions.
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Infrastructure
- Investments in the infrastructure of Kent County and its future such as broadband internet, stormwater flooding mitigation (drains), and county-wide mobility.
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Economic Innovations and Workforce Development
- Investments in the future of Kent County’s economy to provide a thriving, innovative and sustainable business climate and skilled workforce that addresses industry demands in the long-term, such as workforce training and food licensing fee waivers.
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Improving Government Operations
- Investing in Kent County government operations, such as facility improvement and new technology, to address the growing needs of the community and to improve customer service.
After we have collected community opinions on how Kent County should spend some of the ARPA funds, the Kent County Board of Commissioners will assess proposed ideas and projects. The Board will then appropriate funding to support transformational initiatives that will build a better future for our community.
All ARPA funding commitments must be in in place by Dec. 31, 2024, but the County has until December 2026 to spend the money.
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