Item E1 MONROE COUNTY
CARES ACT FUNDING
Monroe County Board ofCounty Commissioners
Office of Legislative Affairs
Lisa Tennyson
June 17, 2020
. o
CARES ACT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND (C
The Coronavirus Relief Fund, established through Section 5001 of the CARES Act, offe s
means of assistance for state and local governments.
The Coronavirus Relief Fund provides a total of $150 billion in federal fiscal support for
states and eligible local governments.
$8.3B to Florida
45% set aside for local governments with pops over 500,000: $3.7B
12 local governments in Florida qualify for these funds
Those 12 counties received: $2.5B
Balance of funds remaining: $1 .27B
Governor announced last week that he agreed to distribute the remaining balance to
the rest of the local governments in the State
Funds will go to the 55 counties
The allocation to each county is population-based
First 25% to be released as an advance to each county
Monroe County's advance is $3.25M, can presume total allocation will be $1
ELIGIBLE USES FOR CRF FUNDING °
ELIGIBLE EXPENSES are strictly defined in the CARES Act and in guidance by Treasury
Department:
ACTIONS TAKEN BY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES TO RESPOND TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH
EMERGENCY
► Expenditure examples: activities addressing medical or public health needs, public safety
measures, purchase of protective and sanitizing supplies, payroll expenses for public
safety, public health, health care, human services to mitigate or respond to the COVID-19
crisis, food delivery to residents, expenses related to telework for public employees,
sanitation and social distancing measures in jails, etc. 10
Funds to Counties are expected to cover the expenses of cities and constitutional officers
uu- Funds may not be used to replace lost revenue in governmental budgets.
ACTIONS TAKEN TO PROVIDE ECONOMIC RELIEF TO THE COMMUNITY suffering from CO ID-
19-related employment or business interruptions. This might take the form of:
► Grants to small businesses (non-profits, arts orgs) to help meet their expenses
► Grants to individuals and families to help them meet expenses (rent, mortgage, utilit
ELIGIBILITY PERIOD for expenses: March 1 - December 31 , 2020
US Treasury Guidance on CRF and US Treasury CRF FAQ
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR A SPENDING PLA °
I
STATE OVERSIGHT ,l
The State has made the Counties responsible for the process- determining how to allocate the funds, administerin a
reviewing of all expenditures submitted, ensuring that all expenses paid are appropriate, tracking and reporting, e c.
Administrative processes: The oversight agency is Florida Department of Emergency Management. Process for thes fu
appears to be mimicking the Florida FEMA PA reimbursement process - long, complicated agreement, they are devel pin
validation process for expenditures, reporting tools, etc.
Accountability/financial liability: If we approve/pay ineligible expenses, the State may withhold our revenue sharing.
These requirements will require county resources for implementation, management, monitoring and reporting.
TOTAL ALLOCATION/REIMBURSEMENT
The first $3.25M is advanced, funds after that - currently this reimbursement-based. Total allocation assumed to be
$13M.
TIMEFRAME
All funds must be expended by December 31, 2020.
Need clarity on the validation process to be used by the State
Spending these funds in this timeframe will require speedy processing/approvals all along the review trail
FEMA PA REIMBURSEMENT vs CARES Act funds for eligible expenses
SPENDING PLAN should be designed to minimize admin review and financial liability for Count
Streamlined in its scope, as simple as possible, easily validated/documented, and quickly executed.
NEXT STEPS
« Hammer out further details with DEM and Governor's office with regar
to the release of funds after the initial advance.
► Get more clarity and specifics regarding contract obligations, eligible
costs, validation process, required documentation for expenditures,
reporting tool
► Determine types of agreements, if necessary, among parties
► Meet with Cities and Constitutionals
Meet with Clerk's office
► Come back to board with a proposed spending plan