This is the overwhelming funding, going into this category, said Lieberman. May 1The Community Foundation of Frederick County is accepting online applications for music instruction scholarships through May 31. Other initiatives in the budget plan included raising the minimum wage for county workers from $14 to $14.50 an hour, continued construction of a county agricultural and equestrian center and development of new county infrastructure, such as an administration building to consolidate much of the countys downtown operations in a single location.. Assistance for State, Local, and Tribal Governments Most municipalities also signed a subrecipient agreement with the county to receive their own aid money. The vast majority of the funding $36.1 million will be reserved for relief grants to individuals and businesses. $249,384,820 GEER funds may be used by the Governor of Florida in support of public elementary and secondary education, institutions of higher education (IHEs), or other education-related entities. The crawl space scooter is built with 1/4 high grade. Gainesville to use American Rescue Plan dollars for utility bills Sign up for our daily or breaking newsletters to stay informed. How GoFundMe Works; Why . Archer also requested $58,000, Hawthorne $21,600 and Waldo $14,400. The states just starting to spend their ERAP 2 money. Vaccination rates continue to rise. King said her landlord is not accepting the funds. $21.1 million for Individual Assistance Grants, 2. During a board of county commissioners special meeting Tuesday, Alachua County Manager Michele Lieberman unveiled disbursement plans for the countys COVID-19 relief funds and a tentative budget plan for the fiscal year 2021, which starts Oct. 1. $7.5 million for Medium Business relief grants more than 25 to 50 employees, 7. Alachua County Reveals Future COVID-19 Relief And Budget Plans Alachua County Budget Increasing By Nearly $78 Million, Despite the pandemic, a rise in Alachua County. In addition, the expenditures must not have been accounted for in the most recent budget approved as of March 27, the date the act was signed into law. This is the category that really belongs to the citizens.. Community Foundation of Frederick County is accepting applications for the commission agreed to spend up to $250,000 for COVID utility assistance and $500,000 for legal help to . Those are the people who are involved in these most vulnerable businesses.. So Im considered as a holdover tenant.. The state passed a $101.5 billion state budget in April, a nearly $10 billion increase in spending from the last fiscal year. Alachua Board of County Commissioners / The Florida Channel The Alachua County Commission met via zoom Tuesday. According to Lieberman, the funds will be shifted and reallocated to different programs and municipalities depending on need. Get the answers here, with data on cases and infection rates. For the law enforcement fund, the millage rate would reduce from 3.7240 mills to 3.5678 mills. Other local government agencies that requested aid include the health department, which has requested $1.85 million that has not yet been dispersed; the school board, which has received $750,000 out of the $2.05 million requested and the sheriffs office, which has received nearly $200,000. The Alachua County Commission at a special meeting Tuesday afternoon unanimously backed a plan for allocating $46.9 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act funds. We highlight the stories of Black Floridians seeking emotional healing and wellness. All rights reserved. "So I was $15,000 behind so ERAP really helped me out," said Alachua County resident, June King. The first-round of grants will be up to $2,500 with the possibility of up to an additional $2,500 in the future as funding allows. Ten applicants were left off entirely, due to low priority scores, insufficient filing information or creating new services not previously established prior to the pandemic. News / dec 4, 2019 / 01:45 pm est. Alachua County will disburse $46.9 million in CARES Act funds for COVID-19 relief, and according to a new budget plan, property taxes in the county could soon be lowered, too. County staff will report back to the commission at its July 14 meeting with progress on the funds and code enforcement for its mandatory mask policy. Assistance for Small Businesses | U.S. Department of the Treasury Gainesville's COVID relief to help residents pay utility bills and fight eviction . COVID vaccine for children a huge relief, Gainesville parents say Source: www.ridgidforum.com. On March 27, Congress passed and the president signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which established a new $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) for state, county and municipal governments with populations of over 500,000 people to address necessary expenditures incurred due to the COVID-19 public health People who are past due on their utility bills will get financial assistance to help getthem caught up through a federal program to help communities recover from COVID-19. This content is being provided for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Saco told commissioners last week thatshe understands that it takes time to approve of American Rescue Plan Act projects,but she said there are some immediate needs like utility assistance that need to be addressed quickly. Coronavirus Relief Fund Through the Coronavirus Relief Fund, the CARES Act provides for payments to State, Local, and Tribal governments navigating the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. For example, only three commissioners indicated support for spending the money on improving broadband capacity in areas where internet service is poor, with commissioners recommending the following expenditures: Adrian Hayes-Santos, $15 million;Reina Saco, $13 million;and Harvey Ward,$900,000. In Alachua County, there were 0 newly reported COVID-19 cases and 0 newly reported COVID-19 deaths on Apr 17, 2023. Businesses may also use funds as reimbursement for costs incurred to reopen, such as installing protective shields and buying personal protective equipment for workers. However, these rates are merely the county managers recommendation; the county commission is tasked with setting the tentative millage rates during its July 14 meeting. Though nervous about pain from the shot,. Even though the county has been able to increase its budget, it has incurred losses in some areas. About 500 businesses also applied for assistance, and about $2.3 million has been awarded to businesses throughout the county. The most reliable way I think we have to get the money to the people who are in the greatest need is not via the filter of a business its through an inpiduals ability to demonstrate, I havent been able to pay my rent in three months, because I lost my job on March 17, he said. Another $2 million is to be allocated for public health expenses such as PPE and supplies for medical and public safety workers, disinfection of public areas and mental health crisis intervention. The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners met via zoom for its special meeting Tuesday, July 7, 2020. Lieberman also unveiled the countys tentative budget plan for the fiscal year 2021, which was significantly influenced by the economic fallout of COVID-19. Listen below: Alachua County Manager Michele Lieberman outlined CARES Act distribution during Tuesdays first special meeting, and then introduced the countys fiscal year 2021 tentative budget during the second meeting. The 2022 fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2021, to Sep. 30, 2022. Alachua County posts Cares Act Grant application link Florida has seen similar budget increases this year. The rest of the funds are split among residents living in other municipalities. $750,000 allocated to other medical expenses to include, but not be limited to: on March 23. This would guarantee that staffing level for at least the six-month period that we can provide funding, she said. This second iteration of relief money follows the roughly $14 billion allocated to colleges in spring 2020 in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, known as the CARES Act,. In order to be eligible for the additional funds, it must use up this portion first. The museum requested themaximum funding at $750,000 but will receive a $10,000 cut for its "Spark Wonder. This money helps support county residents struggling to pay rent as a result of the pandemic. Through a survey, commissioners have expressed very different views about how the American Rescue Plan dollars coming to the city should be spent. Greater Duval Neighborhood Association Corp.'s "Continued COVID . The other $750,000 will be allocated to things like expansion of testing sites and emergency transport costs. The new positivity rate in Alachua County dropped from 30.7% to 27.3%. $500,000 cost to enforce public ordinances in place to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. It's hard to stay on top of it all but Health News Florida can help. Even though the county has been able to increase its, WUFT 89.1 / 90.1 Featured Thank you Gifts. Documented lost profit from required closure, Documented employees (non-owner/family) remaining on payroll while on required closure. The school district is set to use about $6 million for the upcoming year,said district spokeswoman Jackie Johnson, who added subsequent efforts in Congress could help pay for continued access in the following years. 20% of this will be available during the first round of the countys CARES Act funding. All rights reserved. The Gainesville City Commission unanimously voted Thursday to spend $5.6 million on a partial restoration . According to Lieberman, these initial funds must be spent before the county can receive the next set of funds. The budget proposal comes at a time where many are worried local economies are suffering from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gainesville has requested $2.9 million and has so far received about $749,000. For my senior honors project, I decided to highlight this piece of local history and celebrate this underappreciated instrument. In response to the economic downturn, she recommended roll back rates for the countys general tax fund and the Municipal Services Taxing Units law enforcement fund. According to the budget document, this would be only the third time in the last 40 years that the millage rate dipped under eight mills.. The vast majority of the funding $36.1 million will be reserved for relief grants to inpiduals and businesses. In response to the economic downturn, she recommended roll back rates for the countys general tax fund and the Municipal Services Taxing Units law enforcement fund. The Act provided more than $2 trillion in funding for programs including, but not limited to, education, health and human services, labor, housing and agriculture. This is the category that really belongs to the citizens.. Another $443,521 will go to Episcopal Children's ServicesHead Start Center program in east Gainesvillethat would provideearly learning for children from low-income families. Sign up for our daily or breaking newsletters, becoming a digital subscriber to the Gainesville Sun, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Residents and business owners who fell behind on expenses or lost significant income due to required closure may be eligible to receive up to $5,000 in COVID-19 relief money. Alachua. All rights reserved. Thanks to our prudent and responsible financial planning over many years, Lieberman said, we can implement this decision while continuing to provide the same level of excellent programs and services.. The deadline to complete the survey is May 13 with the hope that devices will be ready for distribution by the start of next school year. If local news is important to you, consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Gainesville Sun. GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Alachua County is now under a declared state of emergency due to COVID-19. County spokesman Mark Sexton said Newberry remains ineligible to receive CARES funds because it was not in compliance with the county's emergency ordinances related to COVID-19. During a board of county commissioners special meeting Tuesday, Alachua County Manager Michele Lieberman unveiled disbursement plans for the countys COVID-19 relief funds and a tentative budget plan for the fiscal year 2021, which starts Oct. 1. County residents can now click HERE to apply for the grant. News about coronavirus in Florida and around the world is constantly emerging. Commissioners decided inpiduals will be able to apply for up to $5,000 (per household), a jump up from the plans initial proposal of $2,500. The Alachua County School District will use federal pandemic relief funding to helpstudents have better access to the internet at home. $250,000 crisis intervention from trauma as a result of COVID-19. Others expressed frustration with the smaller $20,000 and $10,000 grants received. . Despite the pandemic, a rise in Alachua County unemployment and a slow year for the local tourism industry, the Alachua County Managers proposed budget for the 2022 fiscal year showed an increase in revenue and spending. However, the taxes are recovering and are expected to continue recovery into the 2022 fiscal year. We would like to continue funding the monthly payments until the funding is exhausted for those who are in the program today and we think thats coming up soon. This would ultimately result in a difference of about $2,072,541 for this particular fund in comparison to its projected revenue from fiscal year 2020. The county will receive $52 million in aid, and is in the process of planning how it will be spent. What's behind the shortages of Adderall, Ozempic and other meds? Rental assistance program funds are expected to run out in April. According to the budget document, this would be only the third time in the last 40 years that the millage rate dipped under eight mills.. But not everyone got in on the pot of funds. We particularly need to hear from the families of students who dont have access to the internet at home, either because they lack a device, connectivity, or both, Johnson said in a news release. More than $13.6 million has been distributed to nearly 3,500 peopleand households so far, saidApril Shuping, a partner with Carr Riggs & Ingram, which is leadingthe application process. Jim Harriot, deputy county manager for public works and growth management, said the county is already looking into the costs of adding ionization technology in the HVAC system, which has been used elsewhere to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Resident June King is a program recipient who said she had COVID-19 for six months working as a nurse but is now searching for a new home. A mill is $1 out of every $1,000 of a propertys taxable value, and in Liebermans recommendation, the county would collect fewer mills for the two funds mentioned. Pleasant United Methodist Church, Inc. - $10,000, Neighborhood Housing & Development Corporation - $750,000, North Central Florida YMCA, Inc. - $300,000, Pace Center for Girls, Inc. Alachua - $300,000, Rebuilding Together North Central Florida - $20,000, River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding - $98,400, University of Florida Mobile Outreach Clinic - $300,000. Support COVID-19 fundraisers; Crisis Relief; Learn more. However, only the first $2,500 will be guaranteed; the remaining aid that people apply for will be disbursed as it becomes available as funds are reevaluated and reallocated. 20% of this will be available during the first round of the countys CARES Act funding. About $1 million will be available for the payroll expenses of county, municipal and constitutional officer employees working overtime in response to the pandemic. The commission agreed to schedule a special meeting in the future to delve into those details and focus its discussion on how the city willspend the American Rescue Plan Act dollars. State may withhold funds and remove School Board members over masks Alachua County will receive 25%. So far 3,450 have been accepted and 2,830 denied. About $2.3 million total is expected to be allocated to some 22 local nonprofits. Alachua County, Florida coronavirus cases and deaths Sexton said all of the CARES Act money was allocated and spent by December 2020. COVID-19 Community Resource Portal - Alachua County The community level of Covid-19 in Alachua County is low based on cases and hospitalizations, according to the most recent update from the C.D.C. Going Beyond Assistance Fund - A 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed by HCSG to serve as a charitable employer-sponsored disaster relief organization to provide emergency, hardship, and disaster assistance . for the 2022 fiscal year showed an increase in revenue and spending. Nearly $21 million was given directly to citizens who had COVID-19-specific impacts, Sexton said. This includes $800,000 for sanitation and health improvements in the county jail, $500,000 for staff to enforce public ordinances, $500,000 for the homeless populations housing and medical needs and $500,000 for food delivery programs. Or, businesses of 50 employees or less can receive up to $10,000 through a back-to-work grant with documented efforts to reemploy furloughed or laid-off workers. More than $15.5 million of grant money has been spent to process applications and payout bills to qualifying residents. Update or Upgrade Your Sustaining Gift Today! Micanopy chose not to participate in the program, he said. Gainesville, Florida nonprofits receive COVID relief grants Health News Florida | Otherwise, I cant imagine where our community would be right now.. The $46.9 million in relief funds comes from the federal governments CARES Act, but Alachua County will receive the funds in quarters, starting with $11.7 million to be used for the next six months. Gainesville area nonprofits would split $7 million in pandemic relief Among those who got the most money and maximum allowed are theNeighborhood Housing andDevelopment Corporation'saffordable housing program and Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungrys support for Grace Marketplace, each receiving $750,000. The relief plans remaining money will be allocated to things like medical expenses, public health expenses, and actions to facilitate compliance with COVID-19-related measures. The longer we waitto get money in the hands of people, the worse those folks' situations will be, she said. COVID-19 Community Resource Portal This Portal is a partnership of local governments, first responders, educational institutions, hospitals, nonprofits, and many others. Sit down restaurants, entertainment venues, etc. The money is intended to help a host of organizations provide and increaseservices to area residentswork thatmay have been hindered during the COVID-19 pandemic. A majority of those funds about 72% are for Gainesville-based businesses. According to Lieberman, the funds will be shifted and reallocated to different programs and municipalities depending on need. Resources and Information Related to the Coronavirus Relief Fund - NACo About 53% of recipients livewithin Gainesville's city limits, while about a third live in unincorporated areas of the county. Lieberman also unveiled the countys tentative budget plan for the fiscal year 2021, which was significantly influenced by the economic fallout of COVID-19. Copyright 2020 WCJB. So I was $15,000 behind so ERAP really helped me out, said Alachua County resident, June King. Mayor Lauren Poe on Thursday thanked Congress and President Joe Biden for taking an "unprecedented step" of providingthe funding directly to cities across the country. School Board gets aid, but crowding, HyFlex teaching remain sore spots, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Other initiatives in the budget plan included raising the minimum wage for county workers from $14 to $14.50 an hour, continued construction of a county agricultural and equestrian center and development of new county infrastructure, such as an administration building to consolidate much of the countys downtown operations in a single location.. Award amounts will depend on the needs and size of the business. But Alachua County has managed to make up for some of its pandemic-related losses. The increased construction in the area has also allowed the county to generate more revenue via property taxes, Sexton said. The county will hire a third-party consultant, Carr, Riggs & Ingram LLC, to assist the county in managing and tracking fund disbursements. Nearly $7 million of pandemic relief money will be distributed to dozens of local nonprofits, the Gainesville City Commission unanimously agreed on Thursday. Students in kindergarten through 11th grade . The American Rescue Plan provides $10 billion to state and Tribal governments to fund small business credit expansion initiatives. In July 2020 the county received $46 million from the CARES Act. Here is a breakdown from the County on where the funds will be going: 1. made. We will still take applications, they will still get time stamped and reviewed, Director of Finance April Shuping said. $2 million for Medical Expenses $1,250,000 allocated to the Alachua County Department of Health for contact tracing specialists, epidemiologists, and related support staff for testing, tracing, case management, and containment of COVID-19. Alachua County Budget Increasing By Nearly $78 Million The scholarships are funded by The Sperry L. Storm Memorial Scholarship Fund and The Guss Family Scholarship Fund for the Arts, two of more than 770 component funds of The Community Foundation of Frederick County. However, these rates are merely the county managers recommendation; the county commission is tasked with setting the tentative millage rates during its July 14 meeting. Alachua County Organization for Rural Needs, Inc., d/b/a ACORN Clinic - $64,598 Alachua Habitat for Humanity - $196,513 Bread of the Mighty Food Bank - $477,534