Title
RESOLUTION R-2021-102: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, TRANSFERRING THE BALANCE OF CARES ACT REIMBURSEMENT FUNDING OF APPROXIMATELY $55,000 FROM CARES ACT BUSINESS AID ACCOUNT OR APPROPRIATING THE BALANCE FROM THE MISCELLANEOUS GRANT REIMBURSEMENTS ACCOUNT TO BE USED FOR FREE COVID-19 VACCINATION SERVICES.
Body
BACKGROUND: On March 27, 2020, the United States Federal Government enacted the $2,200,000,000,000 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Among the provisions of the CARES Act was financial relief to state and local governments negatively impacted by the Novel Coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19). Funds were distributed to state governments for distribution, based on guidelines established by the federal government.
On August 6, 2020, $250,000,000 was made available to Oklahoma cities through newly-established guidelines promulgated under Oklahoma’s Coronavirus Relief Funds, based on the population of the city. Approximately $9,600,000 was made available to Norman based upon these new guidelines, to reimburse the City’s previous expenses related to response to COVID-19. These funds have been received from the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services and deposited to the City’s General Fund. Because these funds were reimbursement for already budgeted expenses, at least in part, $9.6 million was broadly available for City purposes, based upon the direction of the City Council.
City Council in its meeting of October 29, 2020, appropriated $6,525,000 of those funds which were distributed as follows:
• $4,800,000 for Construction Supplement for Senior Wellness Center and Purchase of Permanent Community Service and Homeless Service Facility
• $575,000 for Visit Norman, Inc. to restore lost Room Tax Revenues
• $500,000 for the Norman Arts Council to restore lost Room Tax Revenues
• $465,000 to be allocated to the City’s General Fund
• $135,000 to be allocated to the City’s Net Revenue Stabilization Fund
• $50,000 to be allocated to Municipal COVID Service Providers such as Norman Regional Health System
On December 1,2020, Council appropriated an additional $1,000,000 of the remaining CARES Act reimbursements for a Small Business Relief Program, administered by the Community Relations Division.
On January 26, 2021, the Council appropriated an additional $1,910,000 (Resolution R-2021-86) to the Small Business Relief Program. Under guidelines established by the City Council, most of the Small Business Relief funds have been paid to local businesses and non-profit agencies.
DISCUSSION: Approximately $55,000 remains available from the August 2020 CARES Act reimbursement, either from unappropriated funds or from Small Business Relief Funds that were not paid out because the business applicant failed to meet the guidelines of the program.
Council has discussed distributing the remaining CARES Act reimbursement funds to provide free Coronavirus-19 vaccination services to targeted Norman residents. City Parks Department and City Manager staff will coordinate with Norman Regional Health System and Immuno Mycologics, Incorporated (“IMMY”) to administer the program at local parks and recreational facilities and at other sites, as funding allows. Funds will be re-allocated from CARES Act Business Aid (account 10110110-44720) or appropriated from General Fund, Miscellaneous Grant Reimbursements (109-331346) to CARES Act Other Business Services (10110111-44199).
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Resolution be adopted and the remaining CARES Act reimbursement funds (approximately $55,000) be appropriated and allocated by Council for the administration of COVID-19 vaccination services.