American Rescue Plan Task Force

MINUTES AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING OF MARCH 8, 2023 Present: Mayor, Benjamin Florsheim; Majority Leader Gene Nocera; Pamela Steele; Rev. Robyn Anderson; Phillip Pessina; Kevin Elak; Cynthia Clegg; Diana Doyle; Joseph Fazzino; Brianna Skowera; Brig Smith Public: Martha McCabe; Claire Collins 1. Call to Order Meeting was called to order at 11:05 a.m. 2. Public Comment None 3. Approval of Minutes Gene Nocera made a MOTION to approve the minutes of the February 8, 2023 regular meeting with Brianna’s amendment and Cynthia Clegg seconded the motion. The motion passed with Phil Pessina and Kevin Elak abstaining. 4. New Business A. Discussion with UHY Advisors Brig Smith explained that the purpose of the meeting was to be able to ask questions and get a sense of the hard work that Martha and Claire have been doing. Some questions and concerns were raised about some of the requirements and the amount of work needed to be done to release federal funds, specifically about the insurance requirements. Brig turned the meeting over to Martha from UHY. Martha shared her screen with the Task Force to share the process tracker that she created to keep track of the applicants. The tracker shows where UHY is with the subrecipients and the city projects. Six of the applicants have fully executed agreements and two of those six have already started receiving reimbursement. Nine applications are ready to be signed by the Mayor and six remaining that are working on either their insurance or their conflict of interest. Martha explained that out of twenty-four applicants, only six are still waiting of their agreements to be signed and for them to get their insurance and conflict of interest. She also explained that UHY is looking at all invoices for reimbursement, all receipts, all bids, and all contracts to make sure that everyone understands and complies with the federal government. Rev. Robyn Anderson voiced that the process is frustrating because some of  these things were not outlined earlier. More discussion ensued regarding the insurance needed for the applicants and the cost of that insurance. Martha brought up the fact that ARPA allows coverage of administrative costs. This coverage would include insurance premiums, which would otherwise is not be an allowable ARPA cost. Claire Collins stated that the administrative cost could not exceed10 percent. More discussion ensued regarding the 10 percent administrative cost that subrecipients could propose and what the administrative cost would cover. Brianna Skowera expressed concerns with the reallocation of funds for administrative purposes for subrecipient organizations and not for city projects. More discussion ensued as to whether city departments would be excluded from requesting the additional funds. Gene Nocera made a MOTION to consider the remaining ARPA funds for administrative costs and Phil Pessina seconded the motion. More discussion ensued. The motion was amended to state that subrecipients would be authorized, upon showing of hardship, to apply for funding for administrative costs not to exceed ten percent of the total project costs for insurance, fidelity bond, legal audit, and accounting costs. The motion passed unanimously. Pamela Steele made a MOTION to prepare a resolution that remaining ARPA funds for administrative costs will not exclude future use of funds for city of other projects and Phil Pessina seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 5. Old Business A. Report of Current Expenses and Balances Brig shared his screen with the Task Force to show the updated rubric. He explained that there is about $256,633.27 left. Council has approved all projects and at the next Council meeting, the authorization of additional reimbursement requests will be talked about. B. Report from Water and Sewer Joe Fazzino gave an update on Water & Sewer. He explained that Water & Sewer has their Eligibility Memo from UHY regarding the $2.75 million. Water & Sewer is working with the Department of Health for funding for the Red Road and Bartholomew pump station projects. He did a request to transfer funds from the sanitary sewer improvements in the Public Works street improvement projects to the Saybrook Road project. The preliminary design is complete for basins 25 and 26 and will be going out to bid. 6. Other 7. Adjournment 2 MOTION to adjourn made by Phil Pessina and Brianna Skowera seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously and the meeting ended. 3