American Rescue Plan Task Force

MINUTES AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT TASK FORCE REGULAR MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2024 Present: Pamela Steele; Diana Doyle; Brianna Skowera; Rev. Robyn Anderson; Cynthia Clegg; Christine Marques; Joseph Fazzino; Kevin Elak; Linda Salafia; Brig Smith; Public: Martha McCabe 1. Call to Order Meeting was called to order. 2. Public Comment None 3. Approval of Minutes Brianna Skowera made a motion to approve the minutes from the August 14, 2024 regular meeting minutes and Rev. Robyn Anderson seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 4. New Business Martha McCabe introduced the budget revision. She explained that these are the final budget revisions that can be made by the subrecipients. A. Cross Street & Academic Center Budget Revision Martha McCabe explained that Cross Street’s budget revision represents how they will spend their funding between now and through the end of 2025, which will also require an amendment to their agreement to change the end date. Cross Street needs staff to administer the program and is the reason they are moving funds to salary. They also will not need the $2000 for a single audit since they will be ending their project in 2025. Martha explained that the amount of their total award will need to be reduced by $2000. More discussion ensued and Brianna Skowera asked about a breakdown of current expenditures. She also would like to know how much was already spent on salaries, individual assistance transportation, and basic needs for food and prescriptions. Martha has the information and will send to Brig to forward to the task force. She also shared her screen for the task force to see. More discussion ensued regarding Cross Streets expenditures. Kevin Elak made a motion to approve the budget revision and Christine Marques seconded the motion. The motion passed with 5 ayes (Clegg, Elak, Doyle, Erlacher,  and Marques), 1 nay (Skowera), and 1 abstention (Anderson). B. MUF-MRJC Budget Revision Martha McCabe explained that the executive director of Middletown Racial Justice Coalition left in April and they have been searching to fill the position. MRJC would like to sever their relationship of their agent, MUF. This would mean the City would have to terminate the agreement with MUF. Martha explained that MRJC has found a new fiscal agent, Housing Services of Waterbury, however they cannot directly received the money and would have to enter into a new agreement by December 1st. More discussion ensued and several task members said they would not support this. Brianna Skowera made a motion to permit Middletown Racial Justice Coalition to terminate their agreement with Middletown United Fathers and find a new fiduciary agent and Rev. Robyn Anderson seconded the motion. The motion failed unanimously. Brianna Skowera made a motion to allow Middletown Racial Justice Coalition to revise their budget and Kevin Elak seconded the motion. The motion failed unanimously. C. YMCA Teen Mentoring Project Budget Revision Martha McCabe introduced the YMCA budget revision. She explained that it is a simple revision and the majority of their funding is paying for current staff that are employed there to provide the mentoring services. Rev. Robyn Anderson made a motion to approve the YMCA’s budget revision and Cynthia Clegg seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. D. City Project – Arts & Library Budget Revision Martha McCabe explained that the revisions do not change the scope of work, they are just finding some things are coming in under budget. Brianna Skowera made a motion to approve the budget revision and Cynthia Clegg seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. E. SVDP Middletown Budget Revision Martha introduced SVDP’s budget revision and explained they had a few things come in over budget, so they moved things around. SVDP should be done by the end of the year and the remaining funding will get the land ready for building. Brianna Skowera made a motion to approve the budget revision and Cynthia Clegg 2  seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. F. CHC Peer to Peer Project Budget Revision Martha McCabe explained that the revisions are minor and the project would be completed by 2025. Cynthia Clegg made a motion to approve the budget revision and Rev. Robyn Anderson seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. G. Amendment to Cross Street Agreement Martha explained that Cross Street will not need $2000 for their 2023 single audit and we need to amend their total award and their end date to December 31, 2025. Discussion ensued and Brianna Skowera questioned why the $2000 couldn’t be reprogrammed for direct assistance. Martha explained to her that the $2000 was specifically to be used for single audit and is not eligible to be reprogrammed in their budget, unless the task force allows it. More discussion ensued. Brianna Skowera made a motion to revise the agreement and reprogram the $2000 that was originally for the single audit to individual basic needs within the existing budget and Cynthia Clegg seconded the motion. The motion passed with Rev. Robyn Anderson abstaining. 5. Old Business A. Report of Current Expenses and Balances Martha McCabe will consult with Brig Smith on her response to Middletown Racial Justice Coalition. Briana Skowera suggested preparing an agenda item to terminate the award and repurpose the funds. Martha McCabe explained that she has an excel spreadsheet to share with the Task Force that will show a summary of all the remaining subrecipients and their end dates. She then went on to explain that 545 Main Street Realty has very little left to spend, CHC’s peer to peer program will be done next year, Cross Street will be done December 31, 2025, DCF Middletown’s end date goes until 2026 but will most likely spend the money early next year, Gilead is rapidly spending their money and will be done by the end of this year, JDS Holdings has a large balance to spend and has to be done by the middle of next year, the Chamber project will have their last class in September of 2025 and be done by 2026, the YMCA HVAC project will be done this year and the teen development program will be ending next year, MUF’s community garden project will be done at the end of this year, MRJC was set to be done by 2026 but may change, NHCPA Riverbend will be done early next year, Oddfellows will continue to spend into 2026, South Fire District will be done by the end of this year, and SVDP will be done by the end of this year. 3 6. Other 7. Adjournment Cynthia Clegg made a motion to adjourn and Rev. Robyn Anderson seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously and the meeting adjourned. 4