City Of Ferndale: City Of Ferndale Awarded American Rescue Plan Act Funding

Press release from the City of Ferndale:

Reilly Coleman

August 11, 2021

The City of Ferndale has been awarded $2,096,825 in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. This federal relief package provides economic support for communities that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic, the City’s response to the public health crisis has included cutting costs, deferring projects, and reevaluating the nature of our roles, while keeping community safety at the forefront of the decision-making.

The U.S. Treasury’s funds recognize the variety of individual and community needs during this time. “We are very grateful for this federal relief package,” said Mayor Melanie Piana. “Based on community feedback so far, we know of key priority areas to allocate this unexpected but welcomed revenue support.”

Communities with populations less than 50,000, such as Ferndale, receive their funding indirectly via the State of Michigan’s Treasury Office. Ferndale will receive 50% of the award funding by the end of August and the other half will be awarded in 2022. The ARPA allows for communities to obligate funding by 2024 with the intention to spend all funds by 2026.

“This is once-in-a-lifetime funding support from the federal government,” said City Manager Joseph Gacioch. “We expect to engage the public to help identify and prioritize areas of investment and need.”

The City Manager’s Office will engage residents in this process to ensure funding is utilized in favored areas. Residents can expect the announcement of details for a public survey with a following town hall meeting in September. The survey will reflect the usage preferences of the funding in areas including business recovery and workforce development, public health infrastructure, home repair and property improvement grants, arts and cultural programming/investments, City/public facility improvements, water and sewer infrastructure, and climate change and resiliency community projects.

The City is committed to engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders to identify the needs of a multigenerational impact, allocate the funds equitably, and advance the values and investment areas outlined in the City Council’s Strategic Plan.

This press release was produced by the City of Ferndale. The views expressed here are the author’s own.