The Linn County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday awarded the first round of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars allocated to the county.
The $1.9 trillion in ARPA funds are meant to speed up the United States’ recovery from the economic and health effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Linn County is receiving a total of $44 million in ARPA funding in two installments. Round 1 funding includes $11 million for lost revenue and administrative costs incurred by Linn County and $11 million that Linn County is making available for other local governments and nonprofits through a competitive application process.
That $11 million will be split, with $5.5 million going toward affordable housing, social services, public health, capital investments, and negative economic impacts from COVID-19 (Category A) and $5.5 million going toward water and sewer infrastructure projects in Linn County (Category D).
The Board of Supervisors awarded Round 1 ARPA funding to the following organizations:
Category A
- Aging Services, Inc. Kingston Hill Residential Care Facility (RCF) – Flooring Replacement: $145,000
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Cedar Rapids Unlocking the Future: $750,500
- Cedar Rapids NAACP and LULAC Immigrant and Refugee Community Gardens: $17,460
- Discovery Living, Inc. Healthy, Safe Homes for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities: $50,000
- Eastern Iowa Health Center Increasing Access and Opportunity to COVID-19 Education, Vaccinations, and General Medicine for Underserved Populations: $500,000
- Ecumenical Community Center Foundation Just Getting There ARPA Boost / Helping Hands Ministry: $60,000
- Feed Iowa First Improving Food Access Infrastructure: $100,000
- Foundation 2 Crisis Services Headquarter Facility: $900,000
- Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation Comprehensive Gun Violence Reduction: $605,315
- Gutschmidt Properties Inc. Missing Middle Affordable Housing Jumpstart: $250,000
- Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Inc. Linn County Affordable Housing Expansion: $150,000.00
- Horizons, A Family Service Alliance Meals on Wheels: $240,000
- Horizons, A Family Service Alliance Neighborhood Transportation Services: $50,000
- Indian Creek Nature Center Enhanced Accessibility at Etzel Sugar Grove Farm: Water and Sewer Infrastructure and Farmer Education Workshop: $250,000
- Kids First Law Center Advocacy for Children of High-Conflict Divorce: $20,000
- Kids First Law Center Restorative Justice Prevents Youth Violence: $100,000
- LBA Foundation CR-Dreams Expansion: $35,450
- Linn County Community Services/Planning & Development Linn County Housing Equity Needs Study and Assessment: $70,000
- Linn County Community Services (Options of Linn County) Options Programming Through Innovative Offers for New Safeguards (OPTIONS): $53,645
- Linn County Food Systems Council Food Access, Resilience, & Equity (FARE) Grant Program: $250,000
- Linn County Public Health My Care Community – Coordinated Community Response: $200,000
- Matthew 25 Healthy Homes, Food, and Neighborhoods: $250,000
- NewBo City Market Expanding the Hatchery for Entrepreneurship Equity: $100,000
- The Arc of East Central Iowa Better Access, Inclusion, and Recreation for our Community: $250,000
- Together We Achieve 12k in 2022 Food Box Giveaway: $23,980
- Together We Achieve Hot Meals for All: $3,650
- Willis Dady Homeless Services On-Site Mental Health Care for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness at Willis Dady Homeless Services: $75,000
Category D
- City of Bertram Water Extension to City Park/Blains Crossing: $220,000
- City of Center Point Lewis Access Main Water: $200,000
- City of Central City Marion Road South Street Improvements: $137,289
- City of Coggon Water Main Infrastructure Project: $478,800
- City of Fairfax Water Supply System: $425,000
- City of Hiawatha Robins Road Water and Storm Water Infrastructure Upgrades: $266,500
- City of Lisbon Well 5 Improvements: $1,000,000
- City of Mount Vernon 2022 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation: $1,000,000
- City of Palo Study for Water Source: $35,000
- City of Prairieburg Televise Sewer Lines: $28,000
- City of Walford Wastewater UV Project: $300,000
- City of Walker Replacement of water main on Greene Street: $1,000,000
“I think this list for Round 1 represents a really good cross-section of the eligible categories and will make some significant impacts,” Linn County Board of Supervisor Chair Ben Rogers said in a release. “What an opportunity to have federal dollars of this magnitude in order to give out to the community and impact organizations. I really look forward to the great work these organizations will do with these American Rescue Plan Act dollars.”
Local jurisdictions like Linn County are not required to distribute ARPA funding to other entities. Linn County has chosen to make ARPA funding available to other local jurisdictions and nonprofits through a competitive application process, which is allowed, but not required, by the U.S. Department of Treasury. Linn County and the City of Cedar Rapids collaborated on an online application for ARPA funding to make it easier for local applicants to apply for the funds.
County officials will announce the Round 2 application period at a future date. All eligible applications submitted during Round 1, but not funded, will automatically be considered in the second round, county officials said.
