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HomeMy WebLinkAboutX-E-01 Amendment of Final CARES Act report City Council Memorandum To: Mayor Fasbender & City Councilmembers From: Chris Eitemiller, Finance Manager and Ashley Bertrand, Senior Accountant Date: November 15, 2021 Item: Amend Final CARES Act Report and apply for FEMA funding Council Action Requested: The Council is requested to authorize the Finance Department to amend the final CARES Act report submitted to the State of Minnesota, and also to apply for assistance from FEMA. Background Information: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council approved pandemic-related spending funded by the federal government’s CARES Act. As part of the process, Finance submitted reports to the State of Minnesota’s MMB Office. The final report was submitted on November 24, 2020, for spending through the grant period ending November 15, 2020. Since submitting the final CARES Act report, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has broadened the definition of what qualifies under its Public Assistance program. Because of these changes, some costs incurred by the City while responding to the pandemic that were not previously eligible for FEMA funding are now believed to qualify. Because of this change, Finance staff is requesting Council approval to revise the final CARES report. The City will still retain the full CARES Act allocation by including more public safety salaries that are eligible for CARES reimbursement. Staff will then apply to FEMA to reimburse the City for these costs. Eligible costs for this program must be directly related to responding to a declared emergency. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitization equipment and supplies are examples of costs that staff believes to be eligible. By making these changes, the City hopes to gain additional federal resources to cover pandemic-related spending. Pending review by FEMA, Finance staff hopes to receive up to $37,300 of additional funding. X-E-01 Financial Impact: N/A Advisory Commission Discussion: N/A Council Committee Discussion: N/A Attachments: N/A X-E-01