El Paso City Council OKs $154 million from federal COVID-19 funds to city programs
The city of El Paso is shifting their focus from providing COVID-19 relief to recovery as the county experiences low weekly coronavirus cases.
More than $154 million were allocated from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds in accordance with the American Rescue Plan Act requirements to various departments and programs across the city Monday.
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Of the $154.3 million in earmarked funds, public health and safety response for testing and vaccinations received the most funding at $65.9 million.
The rest of the funding is going toward the following projects and services:
New or enhanced health programs
$1.5 million
Public health relocation
$16.1 million
New or enhanced fire programs
$2.8 million
P-25 radio communications infrastructure
$7.2 million
Body-worn cameras for police
$6.6 million
City watch expansion (surveillance cameras)
$7 million
Temperature controlled mobile command for the Police Department's Major Crimes Unit
$1.3 million
Crisis Intervention Team expansion
$3.9 million
Support for homelessness
$6 million
Support of families
This would entail increasing access to broadband internet service and addressing homelessness, among other issues.
$3 million
Community vulnerability
This involves improving household economic stability and family mental health services as well as funding early childhood care programs like after school care and summer camps.
$3 million
Sports court reconstruction & resurfacing and playground replacement
$6 million
Broadband “Last Mile” (expand city backbone to areas 54% below the poverty line)
$10 million
Economic recovery: business grants and local business support
$14 million
“The allocation of the ARPA funding will allow our community to continue fighting the pandemic, while also providing key resources to support our families; maintaining vital public services such as the crisis intervention support and broadband expansion; and investing in the City’s economic growth through small and local businesses,” El Paso City Manager Tommy Gonzalez said in a city news release Monday.
Since April 2020, the city has received almost $400 million in federal funds, from 11 different agencies.
The city has been averaging 57 COVID-19 cases every week, recently, compared to the last peak, Jan. 17, when the weekly average was 2,708 cases.
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Anthony Jackson may be reached at ADJackson@elpasotimes.com and @TonyAnjackson on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso City Council OKs COVID-19 relief funding to city programs
