City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: OCTOBER 18, 2022
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER /s/
FROM: TERRY SUEHR, DIRECTOR, PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Program and Projects Update.
BODY
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ISSUE: Provide quarterly report information on the implementation status of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding as of June 30, 2022.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council receive this quarterly report.
DISCUSSION: The Department of Project Implementation (DPI) manages the overall ARPA programs to ensure compliance with federal regulations and oversee project alignment with established baselines. The purpose of this memorandum is to provide information on the implementation status of the American Rescue Plan Act funding as of June 30, 2022. Highlights of progress made on ARPA funded projects and the ARPA program management over the past quarter include:
• Housing supported and referred over 400 residents to services in the City related to rent relief, landlord-tenant mediation and other services.
• A total of eight organizations were awarded Community Access grants totaling $1,221,822 and thirteen organizations received emergency support grant awards totaling $709,932.
• The Alexandria Community Remembrance Project, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), the Virginia Tech Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center and the Goethe-Institute, held a day-long symposium to exchange ideas to help shape spaces in Alexandria that honor the enslaved and those victimized by racial terror hate crimes.
• 50 Mobile Hotspots were purchased and made available to the community. There were 311 circulations throughout the first quarter of 2022. The goal is to have a total of 1,200 cumulative circulations by the end of the 4th quarter.
• On-Site Insight, Inc. conducted interior and exterior inspections of fifteen Arlandria-Chirilagua Housing Cooperative buildings (common areas, utilities, grounds) and a sampling of the interiors of 28 dwelling units. The inspections were conducted on May 3 and 4.
• During the last quarterly report, City Council requested additional emphasis on ARPA related communications. As of September 12, temporary assistance has been hired to help share the ARPA project successes with the community.
• The City’s Equity Officer enhanced coordination with all project managers to ensure each project has an equitable approach to operations and data collection.
As of June 30, 2022, the City spent a total of $10.0 million, out of the $29 million budgeted for Tranche #1 projects, compared to $7.7 million shown during last quarterly report. A breakdown of the expenses is included as a part of Attachment 1 (ARPA Financial Report Summary). A breakdown by category is shown below:
ARPA Funds - Allocated and Spent, by category
The graph below shows the actual and forecasted spending. For next quarter, cumulative spending is expected to total $12.6 million.
Attachment 2 (Program and Projects Update #4) provides specific details on project progress. It is important to note that some project budgets do not align with the forecasted cost at completion. These variances are being analyzed with the project managers and a formal recommendation for reallocations and request for funds will be submitted.
At the last briefing, Council requested three additional items of interest: 1) recommended future project funding, 2) population served, and 3) intended results of the project. The recommended future funding for continuation of the programs is being evaluated by staff and will be evaluated as part of upcoming budget processes. The population served is being reported by the Project Manager in the attached project reports based on the project data collected to date, or targeted population. The intended result of the project in the attached project reports provides an overview of the outcomes expected from the project. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were defined for each project in coordination with the Office of Performance Analytics. The data is currently being collected and will be posted as part of the ARPA communications plan on a quarterly basis.
FISCAL IMPACT: Since all ARPA approved projects have allocated budgets, the quarterly progress report does not have fiscal impact. Project spending is monitored monthly to ensure progress is made toward individual project objectives.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. ARPA Financial Report Summary
2. ARPA Program and Projects Update #4
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Robert Snyder, Chief Internal Auditor
Lisa Robrahn, Division Chief, Project Implementation
Miguel Blancas, Project Manager, Project Implementation