Columbia and Boone County want to collaborate on ARPA funding. Here is what was discussed

Columbia and Boone County leaders took steps Tuesday toward collaboration on American Rescue Plan Act Funding.

The joint meeting was a chance for the Columbia City Council and Boone County Commission to share their process for selecting which proposals in which to allocate ARPA funds.

More: Focus group input received by Columbia City Council on ARPA

The county commission is accepting funding applications through March 31 and will start its selection process through April and May, providing the first set of awards in June.

Some funds already have been allocated by the city and it is in the process of receiving letters of intent and funding proposal requests on topics of community violence interventions, homelessness, mental health access and workforce development/support. Applications for the latter three are being accepted through Feb. 17.

What allocations already have happened

The county commission has roughly $18 million of the $35 million it received left to allocate.

Of the county's ARPA fund, $10 million is going directly back to the county due to COVID-19 pandemic revenue losses. Another $5 million is going toward the Columbia Housing Authority for its low-income housing development projects. The other roughly $2 million went toward the Boone County Nature School and extraordinary expenses for Boone County Jail operations.

The county also has started listening sessions with municipalities to get community feedback for ARPA funding. A big issue is an infrastructure, including roads, water and sewer and broadband access.

The City of Columbia split its $25.2 ARPA fund into two pots. The first half was selected by the council, while the second half received a public input process for community priorities. Community and council priorities mostly have aligned.

More: Columbia City Council receives report on community ARPA survey

A pending $3 million agreement with Burrell Behavioral Health will establish a behavioral crisis center. Burrell was the only applicant when the council opened up its request for proposals on mental health services during the first round of allocations, said De'Carlon Seewood, city manager.

Another $3 million also is committed to the Voluntary Action Center and its plan to establish an opportunity campus of shelter space and social service offices from one location on Business Loop 70 East. Columbia Housing Authority received $2 million from the city for its housing projects. Moberly Area Community College, Job Point and the Business Loop Community Improvement District jointly received $1.6 for its workforce development projects.

More: These Columbia workforce development programs will receive American Rescue Plan funds

The city is reviewing community violence intervention proposals. Request for proposal documents are in development on affordable housing and services access.

Future meeting

The timelines for allocations by the city and county do not quite line up, but there are further opportunities for the city and county to collaborate in April.

The commission is waiting until after the funding request deadline in March to look at proposals, said presiding commissioner Kip Kendrick. The county's selection process is an opportunity for the city and county to find projects on which they both align, he added. April is when the city will start to allocate the second half of its ARPA fund.

Cities and counties have until 2024 to allocate funds and they must be spent by 2026.

The big focus for the county is on infrastructure and broadband access. Kendrick is willing to accept ARPA proposals, but also is wanting guidance from the U.S. Treasury Department on its rules for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

There also is the question of if an APRA proposal is accepted as a reimbursement program, what should the city or county do with the money if not all of the money in the proposal ends up being needed. Can the remainder be reallocated or does it sent back to the U.S. Treasury? An answer to that question is one Northern District Commissioner Janet Thompson will seek.

The city and county have tentatively scheduled another joint meeting for 1 p.m. April 19.

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia, Boone County holds joint meeting on ARPA funding